It happened one night
by A Rae Lin
Summary: His breath catches in his throat when his eyes land on Sam standing on his doorstep, soaked by the rain. "Carter? What the hell? Get in here," he says slightly frustrated in more ways than one. This is my response to the MOS for October 2017 but I couldn't stop writing this so it is a little more than a one-shot.
1. Chapter 1

The wind blows softly against the window as a gentle rain begins to fall, making little whispers against the pane. Jack lays awake looking at the ceiling. Of course the sleep he desperately needed refused to come.

'That's what happens when you have a 5 am flight,' he thinks.

He listens as the rain begins to fall harder and closes his eyes, willing sleep to come. Suddenly there is a noise that stands out from the falling rain; a knock on his front door. He sits up quickly, his dog tags jingling against his bare chest as he palms the 9 mil. from his nightstand. He makes his way to the front door and opens it without a thought. His breath catches in his throat when his eyes land on Sam standing on his doorstep, soaked by the rain.

"Carter? What the hell? Get in here," he says slightly frustrated in more ways than one. He steps aside as she steps in then closes the door behind her.

"You're soaked, lemme get you a towel. So you gonna tell me why you're on my doorstep at this hour?" he asks as he heads to retrieve a towel for her.

"I was in my lab and Hammond came to see me. Why didn't you tell me about your mom?" she asks, taking the towel from him.

He looks into her eyes for a moment before turning toward the kitchen.

"You want some coffee?" he offers, changing the subject.

"Sir, this is a big deal," she says following him, using the towel to dry her hair.

Jack turns to face her, "Really? You're pulling out the sirs? You came to my house at 2 in the morning to ask why I didn't tell you my mom died and now I'm just your commanding officer? Come on Sam."

She takes a breath, "You know it's just a habit."

Jack groans and rubs his hands over his face, "I know. Sorry, I'm just not really myself right now."

"And that's why I came over as soon as I found out," she steps closer and lays her hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry you didn't hear it from me," he says after a moment.

"I don't care who I heard it from, I just want to make sure you are alright."

After a moment of silence Jack turns and starts making coffee.

"What are you doing?" Sam asks softly.

"Making the coffee I offered you."

"As you pointed out it 2 am."

"And my flight I at 5 so I was going to be up in about an hour anyways."

"Oh, so how long will you..."

"Come with me," Jack says cutting her off mid-sentence.

Sam looks at him shocked so he continues, "I haven't seen my family since before Charlie...and the truth is it's because I was ashamed of having lost my wife and son."

"But neither of those were your fault Jack."

"I know, but I still want you to come with me," he says strong closer to her. His brown eyes search her blue ones as he waits for her to answer.

She takes a breath, "What time is the flight?"

"5, I was planning on heading out a little before 4."

"I have a bag in my car ready to go."

Jack looks at her questioningly and she shakes her head slightly, "When I heard this morning we were getting a few days off I called Mark and was planing on going to see him and the kids. Then after you left Hammond told me why we were getting the time off."

The smell of freshly brewed coffee fills the room as silence falls between them. Sam shuffles as if she is unsure of the situation.

"You can relax. We just work together and I'll make sure my family knows that," Jack says as he pours them each a cup.

He offers her one and then turns and heads into the living room. As he sit on the couch he notices Sam moving to sit next to him. They sit quietly drinking coffee for a few minutes. He turns his head and looks at Sam for a moment before shifting his cup to one hand and motioning for her to move closer.

"Come here," he says softly.

Sam sets her cup down and moves next to him, laying her head against his chest. His wraps his arm around her and breathes in deeply, her familiar scent washing around him. After a moment Sam turns her face up to his. Slowly he leans down and kisses her gently and deeply. They slowly loose themselves in each other as the rain begins to fall hard on the tin roof of the tool shed. After a moment Jack pulls away slightly and clears his throat.

"If this keeps up I may have to change how I introduce you to my family," he says.

Sam smiles at him, "If this keeps up our families will be the least of our worries."

"Unless we don't tell anyone at all."

"Is that an option?"

"Would you want it to be?" Jack asks, looking at the woman in his arms as she considers the question.

"I've always been good at keeping secrets," she says after a beat.

"Me too," Jack says before pulling her closer to him and kissing her again.

AN: I know this is supposed to be a one shot but I may have to finish the story that I have started here. I have a few ideas about how things would go and I think I want to play with it a bit. I hope you enjoyed this little tidbit.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack sits looking out the small window as the plane starts descending.

"So tell me about your family," Sam says.

He turns to look at her,"Haven't you read my file?"

"I've never had a reason to."

"Well, I've got a younger brother and a baby sister. David is just two years younger than me and..." he pauses as he sees a little smile on Sam's face.

"What?" he asks.

"I've just never heard you talk about your family and I find the subject quite fascinating, but please continue."

"My sister Abigail is a lot younger than me. She's much closer to you in age actually," he adds a then wishes he hadn't.

"Oh that's, interesting" Sam says slowly then falls silent.

As the plane touches down on the tarmac Sam looks at Jack again.

"So tell me about your family," she says.

"What do you want to know?"

"Can you give me a summary of everything?" she asks.

"My parents were high school sweethearts that grew up in Chicago. They got married after they graduated in '51 and found out they were having me early '52. Four years later we were moving to Minnesota and Dave was born. They thought they were done having kids but when I was 15 they had Abby. Dad died four years later in '71; mom never remarried. Dave and I were the only male role models in Abby's life but with me in the Air Force that responsibility fell completely on Dave. I met Sara in '78 and we dated for a couple of years then got married and had Charlie a few years after that. You know how that story ended. Dave stayed close to mom and Abby and married some local girl they have a couple of kids that were all pretty close to Charlie in age if I remember right. Abby was seeing some professor she met at U of M last I heard," he concludes as the flight attendant starts thanking them for choosing this airline and she hopes everyone had a pleasant flight.

Jack leads the way off the plane and toward the baggage area with Sam following close behind. After grabbing their bags they head for the door. As they step out into the cool morning breeze swirls around them. Jack looks up and down the street in front of them and smiles as he turns to Sam.

"Here we go," he says moments before being tackled by two teenage boys.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sam watches as the three of them become a laughing tangle standing in the middle of the sidewalk. As they all talk at the same with each other Sam feels a hand on her shoulder causing her to jump slightly. She turns and a small gasp escapes her lips. The man in front of her looks exactly like Jack without as much grey hair.

"You must be Samantha. I'm David, and those two roughens are my boys, Alex and Jon," he says with a smirk.

Sam relaxes and smiles, "It's nice to meet you. To be honest, until last night I didn't know you existed."

Dave let's out a laugh confirming that he and Jack are definitely related.

"Jack's always kept the best secrets. You're a prime example of that yourself. Where has he been hiding you away?" he asks, his dark eyes looking her up and down.

Sam feels a hand on her shoulder and lets out the breath she hadn't realised she had been holding when she hears Jack's voice beside her.

"Carter and I work together, that's it."

"Work? That's what it sounds like to me. I mean..." Dave starts but Jack cuts him off.

"So are you gonna keep interrogating us here or do we get to join the rest of the family?" Jack asks grabbing his bag off the sidewalk.

Dave looks from Jack to Sam then back to Jack with a smirk, "My truck is this way."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack takes a breath as they follow his brother to the parking lot. As they walk the boys start asking Sam a barrage of questions, which she does her best to answer as briefly as possible. As they approach the truck he leans close to her.

"You take the front seat, I'll sit in the back with the boys," he says.

Sam smiles at him as they climb in. Jack looks at his nephews.

"So you two keeping out of trouble?" he asks.

"So far, but I'm lookin forward to school starting," Jon says.

Alex laughs, "Only cause then you get to see Marie more."

Jon plants an elbow in his brother's side.

"Who's Marie?" Jack asks.

"The most popular girl in school and Jon's got a crush on her," Alex says.

"I don't have a crush on her. She asked me to help her with her math homework last year, that's it," Jon retorts.

Jack smiles at Jon, "Don't sweat it. There is plenty of time for girls later."

"Your uncle Jack would know. After high school he was quite the player," Dave says over his shoulder.

"We all do things we regret," Jack says, levelling his dark gaze at his brother in the rear-view mirror.

Silence fills the truck for the rest of the ride. When they finally reach their destination Dave gets out of the truck and heads up the walk to the house without a word. Jack waits till the boys are following their father before he looks at Sam.

"I shouldn't have brought you into the middle of this. I'm sorry," he says as they walk toward the house.

"I don't mind. And besides, it sounds like you could use an ally here," she says, giving him a small smile.

"More than you know."

AN: Alright I'm sure this isn't what you were expecting but we're coming to the parts that I am looking forward to now.


	3. Chapter 3

As they walk up the sidewalk toward the house Jack puts his hand on the small of Sam's back and guides her toward the front door. Sam stops walking just before they reach the door.

"So we're just co-workers?" she asks.

"Yeah, I thought that's what we decided to tell them," Jack says slightly confused.

"Then I suggest you take your hand off of my back, Sir," she says gently.

Jack jerks his hand away and looks at her sheepishly, "Sorry, I was thinking about last night and I didn't realize I was...I'll keep my hands to myself."

Sam smiles at him, "Don't get me wrong, I really like being touched by you, but if we are keeping this between us..."

"I know and you're right. Okay, you ready to meet the rest of the O'Neill's?" he asks nodding toward the door that is being opened from inside the house.

Before Sam can answer a woman appears and looks at Jack with a faint smile.

"I can't believe you came. Dave said you weren't going to but I knew you'd be here," she says stepping out of the house and wrapping her arms around Jack in a hug.

Sam looks at the woman. She is taller than Sam but not as tall as Jack. Her long auburn hair blows around them in the gentle breeze as they part and Jack turns to Sam.

"Carter, this is my sister Abby. This is Sam Carter," he indicates with his head.

Abby turns to face Sam with eyes like Jacks and smiles.

"It's very nice to meet you. I wish the circumstances were better. Let's not stay outside. I just made coffee."

Jack smiles, "You go with her and I'll take care of our bags and join you in a minute."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

As they enter the house Abby looks at Sam over her shoulder.

"How long have you and Jack worked together?" she asks.

"A little over three years now," Sam answers.

"So you're in the Air Force as well?"

"Yes, I was recently promoted to major," Sam says with a smile.

"That's wonderful. Congratulations. So what do you and Jack do exactly?" Abby asks as she pours coffee into a few cups.

"Well in addition to being an Air Force officer I also have a degree in theoretical astrophysics. My job is to record and analyze deep space radar telemetry and Jack is second in command of the base so he reads over my reports and those of the other scientists before they are sent higher up."

"Wow that sounds…" Abby is cut off by Dave.

"Like a load of bullshit," he says as he leans on the doorjamb.

Sam turns her head to look at him, "Excuse me?"

"Jack didn't tell you what I do for a living, did he?" he asks, his dark eyes locking on her sending a chill down her back.

"No, he didn't," she says turning to face him.

Dave stands up strait and walk toward her slowly with all the grace of a jungle cat ready to spring on its prey.

"I'm a cop. I can tell when someone is lying through their teeth from a mile away. I don't know what is going on between you two that makes you think that lying to people is okay, but I'm gonna tell you right now it's not," he say coming to a stop in front of her.

"David, knock it off. She is a guest in this house," a new voice says from behind him but Sam keeps her eyes locked on him until he finally backs away.

"I got called in. Not sure how long I'll be," he says before kissing the newest arrival on the cheek and leaving the room.

The woman turns to Sam, "I'm so sorry about that. My husband is taking his mother passing very hard."

Sam relaxes, "Loosing a parent isn't easy. I lost my mom when I was 14."

"So you understand the grieving process. Where are my manners? I'm Rochelle, most people call me Ellie," she says as she holds out a hand to Sam.

Sam takes her hand, "Samantha Carter, you can call me Sam."

"It's nice to meet you Sam," she says sweetly.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack looks around the small room and feels like he has traveled back in time. It's like nothing has changed since the last time he was here. He walks to the dresser and picks up the baseball glove sitting on top and turns it over in his hands as memories come flooding back.

 _Charlie laughs as Jon and Alex chase each other with the water guns. Jack leans back and sips his beer and Sara exits the house and joins him on the lawn._

 _"Thanks for taking the time to come with us," she says as she snuggles into him._

 _"I just wish I was leaving so soon. We should probably tell Charlie I'll be gone for a while," he says, then sips his beer again while he wraps his free arm around her._

 _"I talked to him before you came home this time and told him it wouldn't be for very long."_

 _Jack watches the boys for a few moments before speaking again, "I hate that I am missing him growing up. I wasn't going to say anything until I knew for sure but you know the call I go this morning?"_

 _"Yes," she lifts her head and looks at him._

 _"After this assignment I'll be stationed stateside for the foreseeable future."_

 _He watches Sara's face light up with a smile as she leans in and kisses him deeply._

He shakes himself out of the memory and lays the glove down before turning to find Sam standing behind him.

"Abby wanted to know if you're hungry. She's making breakfast for everyone," she says softly.

Jack takes a breath "It's probably a good idea to eat something. Today is going to be a long day."

AN: I know I just posted the last bit but I couldn't help myself and this one seems to almost be writing itself. More will be ready soon.


	4. Chapter 4

The day flies by with everyone rushing around working on the finishing touches for the late Mrs. O'Neill's funeral. By the time they make it back to the house that night Jack is exhausted. As he walks into the living room he sees Dave sitting on the couch drinking a beer and watching the sports channel.

"So now you drink alone?" Jack asks taking a seat in the reclining chair nearest the door.

"Things change big brother," he responds without looking away from the TV.

"So is this how the whole week is going to be?"

"You tell me."

Jack groans, "Should I have stayed away?"

Dave sets down his beer and looks at Jack, "Do you want my opinion or do you want me to tell you what you want to hear?"

"I'd like to hear your opinion."

"I think mom would like you being here but I don't. You haven't bothered to visit in years and you haven't cared in longer so why the hell show up now?"

"Who said I didn't care?"

"Where were you when dad died? Or when Abby's birthday came around every year since? So you brought your ex and your son up here once or twice but you never could get out of here fast enough. Heard the kid died after that last trip you made. Sorry we could make it to the funeral," Dave says flippantly.

Jacks vision blurs slightly as he stands out of the chair and strides over with his fist clenched only to be stopped by someone.

"Hey!" Sam's voice snaps him back to reality.

He looks at her for a moment and takes a deep breath.

"I'm going out for some air," he says to her before turning to leave.

As the front door closes behind him he flashes back to when he left at 18.

 _He looks at his father, Jo O'Neill. The man was proud. Sometimes that was a good thing and sometimes it was not._

 _"_ _You don't need have to worry about anything dad, I already talked to a recruiter for the Air Force and he thinks I'm a perfect fit," Jack says._

 _"_ _Then you're dumber than I thought. They say that to everyone they are trying to hook. Why you can't just work with me at the dealership is beyond me. I've already talked to my boss and he wants you to start Monday."_

 _"_ _I just want to do something more than just stay in this town…" Jack starts but his dad cuts him off._

 _"_ _Why? Isn't this town good enough for you hotshot?"_

 _"_ _It's not that…"_

 _"_ _No, I suppose it's just because you're too good to be like your old man. Well that's fine. You can leave any time and don't worry about coming back."_

Jack drops his head and stops walking. He vaguely hears something beside him.

"You wanna talk about it?" Sam's voice comes softly.

"Not really."

"Okay, Abby told me about a little diner just down the street that opened last year. Let's go sit for a while. She said they have a white cake with strawberry filling that is to die for."

"Thanks but I don't think cake is what I'm looking for right now."

"Which is why I also asked about good local bars."

Jack looks at Sam for a moment as he realizes how this night plays out will decide their future and he suddenly knows exactly what he wants.

"I know a place, it's not far from here," he says.

Sam smiles, "Well then lead the way."

Jack turns and takes a breath before grabbing Sam's hand gently and leading her down the street. After walking down the street and thru a park they finally arrive at a small bar and grill. Jack uses his free hand to open the door and leads Sam inside. He nods at the man behind the counter and heads to an empty booth in a dark corner. A young woman comes over and takes their order then leaves them in peace after dropping off two beers.

"So, what do you think of my family?" Jack asks.

Sam sips her beer and looks him in the eye.

"You held my hand the whole way here and now you're asking about my thoughts on your family? Is there something going on that I am unaware of?"

Jack clears his throat, "Let's say for the moment that I decided I need more out of this than what we have now, what would you say?"

"I'd ask what you have in mind."

Jack looks at the woman sitting across from him and wishes he could tell her exactly what he has in mind, but he can't.

"I was just thinking maybe we could head to my cabin after the funeral tomorrow. I don't know how much of my family I can handle right now."

"Your family or your brother?" Sam asks.

Jack takes a swig of his beer before answering, "Those happen to be one and the same."

Sam considers him for a moment, "I'd say, I've come this far with you, why not go all the way?"

As the words leave her lips Jack feels himself wishing with all his might that she hadn't just worded it that way as he wills himself to remain flaccid. He takes a deep breath to relax before speaking again.

"Alright, then I'll figure out a car and we can head out tomorrow afternoon."

Sam sends him a smile that puts him at ease as the waitress sets a platter of miscellaneous snacks. They make quick work of the food as well as several more beers before they decided to head back to the house for the night. As they walk thru the park in the dark Sam looks at the swings then to Jack.

"I haven't been on a swing in ages," she says.

Jack smiles as she sits down and start swinging. After a few moments she waves at him.

"Come on, don't leave me swinging alone," she says teasingly.

"I'm good," Jack replies.

Despite the number of beers he becomes instantly sober as she hops off the swing and walks up to him, her eyes sparkling in the light from the street lights. She stand up on her toes and kisses him. He wraps his arms around her pulling her closer and returns the kiss. She opens her mouth slightly allowing him to explore with his tongue. A warmth begins to spread thru his body despite the cool night air. After several minutes he pulls back slightly to catch a breath and looks at her.

"It's getting cold, we should probably get back," she says, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah, sure thing."

AN: Alright we are coming to the part I have been waiting for since this idea popped into my head.


	5. Chapter 5

By the time they get back to the house Sam is shivering slightly and Jack has her tucked close to his side to share as much of his warmth with her as possible.

"I should've grabbed a coat," he mutters.

They walk to the front door and Jack reaches to open it. Once inside he closes the door quietly and they move through the house to his room without a sound. As he closes the bedroom door Sam steps away from him. He looks around the room then to Sam.

"You can sleep in the bed. I'll take the floor," he says.

"You don't have to…"

"It's probably better if I do…"

They s both fall silent for several minutes before Sam sighs.

"This is ridiculous. How many times have we shared a tent? Why does this have to be any different?" she asks.

"I can think of a few reasons. One, this is my room and that is my bed. Two, we have both had quite a few drinks…" he trails off as he looks at his CI2.

She is standing beside the bed looking at him with a look that the colonel in him knows he should ignore but the man in him wants to exploit. He steps across the room and grabs her, pulling her close and kissing her passionately. She responds by matching his passion and lacing her fingers in his hair and pulling him toward the bed.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sam backs up slowly leading Jack without breaking the kiss until she feels the bed at the back of her knees. They move as one as Sam lowers herself down to the edge. As she moves further up on the bed she feels Jacks hands leave her body to support his weight, allowing him to continue kissing her deeply while moving with her. She finally settles against the pillows as Jack's weight settles on top of her, his desire evident as she feels him press his hard body closer to her. Her body begins to hum as he moves slowly on top of her and she lets out a low moan. Suddenly he pulls back and looks at her.

"I don't have a condom," he says, his voice low and husky.

Sam blushes slightly, "I have an IUD. Frasier thought it would be a good idea after what happened on Simarka."

"That was two years ago."

"I know, but there is always a chance of something like that happening..." she lets the sentence go unfinished as she studies his face.

Jack takes a breath and kisses her lightly before rolling off and sitting up on the edge of the bed beside her.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"I think it's better if we put this on hold," Jack says, hating that his inner colonel got the better of him. He looks down and glares at the throb in his pants.

"If that's what you want," he hears Sam's voice behind him quietly.

Angry with himself for the disappointment in her voice he turns to looks at her.

"I can promise you that is not what I want. But given the situation…" he stops.

"What if the situation changed?" she asks after a moment

"I would never ask you to give up anything for me."

"Have you ever thought that I would be gaining more than I would be losing?"

"Carter, Sam, you are an amazing officer and brilliant scientist not to mention you're several years my junior…"

"So it's my age that bothers you?" she asks.

"What? No, that's not what I meant…I just think you should be with someone…"

"Who what? Is my age? Treats me well? Gives me everything I could ever want? Well let me tell you, the men my age are immature and insecure and could never give me what I want because you are all I want. I have dated men my own age and it never feels right, but when I'm with you I don't have to try. Everything is so easy with you."

"Sam…"

"We have seen this work in alternate realities, so why can't we figure out how to make it work here?" she asks, laying a hand on his arm.

Jack takes a breath, "I just can't ask you to give up the Air Force."

"So don't ask. I'll make it my choice. I would rather be with you than have to live my life looking at you in the distance."

Jack stands and runs his hands thru his hair and paces around the room before looking back at Sam, who is now sitting on the edge of the bed watching him intently.

"I don't know what the answer is," he says finally.

"Let's not worry about it tonight. It's late, and you have a big day tomorrow. We should try to get some sleep. And don't even think about sleeping on the floor," she says as she pats the bed beside her.

Jack sits carefully next to her. After breathing deeply several times he looks at her.

"I'm sorry," he says.

"For what?"

"I don't like starting something I can't finish."

Sam gives him a small smile, "Don't worry about it."

"But I do, and I won't sleep until I make it right," he says, his voice low.

He puts his hand gently on her chest and lays her backwards then runs his fingers down toward her stomach. He repositions himself so that he is lying next to her on his side as he kisses her, gently nibbling down her jaw to her neck. His heart starts to race as he reaches the hem of her shirt and slips his hand under it to feel her warm soft skin. He smiles to himself as Sam draws a sudden breath as he unbuttons her jeans and slides them down far enough to feel the soft lace that is covering her. Carefully he sits up before removing the jeans and tossing them on the floor.

"I thought we weren't going to…" Sam asks.

"We aren't. But that doesn't mean I can't make sure you aren't disappointed," He replies as he looks her over. "You really are beautiful."

He moves closer to her and kisses her again before stripping her shirt off and discarding it. He slowly makes his way down her body kissing as he goes. When he reaches the cream lace he kisses her thru it and then moves to her thighs, nibbling and kissing while he gently slides the lace down. Soon it joins the pile of clothes on the floor and Jack turns his attention back to Sam's body.

His fingers run over the soft skin and is pleased to find Sam slick and ready for him. He strokes her gently coaxing a soft moan to escape her lips. He smiles and moves his head closer, nuzzling her tenderly. He breathes deeply letting her scent drown all his senses. He works his tongue slowly, rasping over her with a steady rhythm. He feels her shudder as she places her hands on his head, pressing him closer. He moves a hand up her side to the lace that is covering her breast and begins gently kneading her through the delicate fabric making her squirm.

"Oh, Jack…" she moans causing him to become instantly hard. He ignores his member and begins exploring her soft skin with his free hand as her taste fills his mouth. He closes his eyes and groans as the desire to take her grows. Finally he sits up on his knees and yanks his pants open. Sam locks eyes with him as he pushes his pants down letting his hard length out.

"I need to..." his voice cracks slightly.

"Go slow," Sam says.

He nods as he slowly leans forward, placing himself carefully in her. Her eyes close and a small groan escapes her lips as he fills her. He moves slowly for the first few strokes but as he moves in her everything starts to blur around them. Within a few minutes he feels his control slipping and his hips start moving faster. All too soon he feels his release getting close.

"I'm gonna cum..." he says in a low voice as his thrusts become more frantic.

"I'm almost there," Sam replies, her voice barely an audible whisper in his ear.

Every muscle in his body tightens as his release pours into her and he faintly hears her moan his name while she arches under him. After a few beats he carefully collapses next to her on the bed as everything fades to black.

AN: I was thinking about ending this fic here but again the story has other ideas so stay tuned for the next update.


	6. Chapter 6

Rays of light filter through the gaps in the blinds landing on Jack's face and waking him from a deep sleep. As his eyes open he sees blonde hair shining next to him and smiles. But as the events of last night flood into his mind the smile fades. As his mind starts to race there is a knock on the bedroom door causing him to jump slightly.

"Yeah?" Jack calls.

"I wanted to let you know breakfast is ready if you guys are hungry," Abby's muffled voice comes thru the door.

"Alright, thanks," Jack answers back.

Sam stirs next to him as he shifts slightly to see the clock on the night stand. They only have a few hours before the funeral. He slowly gets out of bed and starts getting dressed when he sees Sam stretch and open her eyes.

"Good morning," he says as she sits up.

"Good morning."

"So Abby says that breakfast is ready."

"Oh good."

Jack pulls his shirt on then looks at Sam.

"I know we should talk about what happened..."

Sam cuts him off, "Not today. Today you just need to focus on getting thru the next few hours and we can worry about everything else later."

Jack watches as she gets out of the bed and starts going thru her bag, pulling out a carefully folded pile of black fabric. She looks at him and gives him a quick smile.

"I need a shower, do you know where they keep the towels?" she asks.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The day passed in a blur and finally comes to an end as Jack sits on the front steps and looks at the last few people as they wave goodbye and drive away. He takes a breath, one thing he had learned today was how many people loved his mother.

He thinks about the 200+ people that were at the church for the service and how most of them were also at the graveside and then stopped by the house to give their condolences. A single tear slides down his cheek as he sits in the cool evening air. He clears his throat as a pair of high heels slip into view out of the corner of his eye.

"How you holding up?" Sam's voice comes softly to him.

"Could be better, could be worse," he says.

"Do you still want to go to the cabin?" she asks as she sits next to him, tugging the hem of her simple black dress down to cover her knees.

"Yeah, I was thinking about heading up tonight actually. You don't have to come with me. I could..."

"I don't mind and besides I don't think it's a good idea for you to be alone with your thought right now. Don't forget I've been through this myself."

Jack smiles at her briefly, "Alright, you win. We can leave after I get out of this depressing getup."

"I'm already packed so it won't take me long to get ready."

"So you're leaving tonight?" Abby's voice comes from the front door.

Jack turns to see his sister standing in the doorway looking like their mother in a picture he saw from her youth.

"Yeah, we're gonna head to the cabin for a few days. But we'll stop back by before we head back."

"And how are you getting there?"

"I was planning on renting a car…"

"No, just take mine. Then all you have to pay for is the gas."

"You sure Abbs?" Jack asks as he gets to his feet.

"Of course. I have the rest of the week off and if I need to go somewhere I can just drive mom's car. I wasn't planning on selling it for a few months anyways."

Jack pulls her into a hug, "Thanks little sister."

She hugs him back, "Any time big brother."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack settles into the driver seat as Sam climbs in shotgun and shoots him a smile. He smiles back as they pull away from the house.

"Are you ready to see my special place?" Jack asks.

"Your special place huh?"

"You know, the place I hide from the people I don't like."

"I feel honored that you asked me to join you."

"Well, I don't don't like you..." Jack starts and then stops. "That didn't come out right..."

Sam laughs, "It's okay, I know what you meant and thank you for that. So what will we do at the sanctuary of yours?"

"Well, I usually come up here to go fishing."

"So four days of fishing? That actually sounds relaxing."

A comfortable silence fills the space between them as they start to leave the city behind. After they pass thru several small towns Jack breaks the silence.

"Before we get up there I feel I should warn you…"

Sam cuts him off, "Look, I don't have an expectations as to what this trip is. We can make those decisions as things progress."

"Oh, good. I was gonna say all the stores will be closed so if you get hungry we will have to grab some fast food."

"Oh, right," Sam blushes and looks out her window.

"But since you brought it up, can we talk about last night?"

"I meant what I said. There is no reason I can't continue working at the SGC as a civilian."

"And I meant what I said. You are a brilliant officer and I can't get in the way of the career you've spent so much time building."

"Can I be honest with you for a minute?"

"Sure."

"I joined the Air Force after my mom died because I only had one parent and he lived and breathed Air Force. I have always leaned more to the science side of things, which lead to my interest in NASA but when I found out about the Stargate I knew I had to be part of this program. Now that dad is up to speed on everything he has told me that he's proud of what I'm part of. That being said, the Air Force doesn't have to be a factor any longer. I can still do what I love and be with the man I love without having to choose one or the other."

Sam falls silent and Jack lets her words sink in for a moment.

"There could be another way, without you leaving the military," he says without taking his eyes off the road ahead.

AN: Sorry this took so long, the next bit should be ready soon.


	7. Chapter 7

Jack wakes early the next morning and decides to get some early fishing in before heading into town for supplies. As he sits on the dock he hears a car approaching and after a few minutes he hears the familiar voice of the little old woman up the road.

"Yoo-hoo," she calls in a sing-song voice as she comes around the corner of the cabin.

Jack smiles at her when he sees the large basket in her arms, "You know you don't have to bring something over every time I come up."

He stands and moves to take the basket form her then they walk toward the house.

"And you know I like stopping by to see how you've been Jonathan. How long will you be around this trip?" she asks.

"Just a couple of days. The water heater giving you problems again?"

"It sure is. You know, I think the good lord is watching out for me. The darn thing quit day before yesterday and you show up all unexpected and whatnot last night. You would happen to have a few minutes to help an old woman out of this predicament?"

Jack opens the door and steps aside to let her in first but as he starts to follow he nearly bumps into her as she freezes in the doorway. When he follows her line of sight he sees Sam standing at the top of the stairs in a tight tank top and little running shorts.

"Oh Jonathan, you didn't tell me you had a young lady keeping you company. And look at the mess I am. Well dearie, I'm Leona Marshall, I live just up the road a bit. And who might you be?"

Sam smiles as she looks from Leona to Jack with an amused look on her face.

"This is Major Samantha Carter," Jack says.

"Oh, Major? So she's in the service too? How lucky for you Jonathan. She is quite the looker, you'd best keep her close," Leona whispers to Jack as she bumps his arm with her elbow before turning to Sam.

"Well I was just dropping a basket of goodies by so I'll be getting out of your hair now. You kids have a nice couple of days," she says with a wink.

"Oh no Mrs. Marshall, it's not like that," Sam says.

"What about your water heater?" Jack asks at the same time.

"Don't you worry about a thing, I'll call that nice looking repairman to come take a look at that darn thing. See you kids after a bit," she says as she shows herself out, leaving Sam stunned and Jack standing with a large basket in his arms.

"So, that was my neighbour," Jack says finally.

Sam smiles as she comes down the stairs, "So I gathered. I was just headed for a run."

"Alright, I was gonna head into town to grab some stuff. Do you need anything?"

"Not that I can think of right now."

"Okay, have a nice run," Jack says as Sam heads for the door.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack mutters under his breath as he pulls into the driveway and sees Leona's Jeep Wagoneer parked on the side of the cabin.

As he walks toward the door he hears Leona's voice drifting from inside.

"And here is a picture Ed snapped of Margie and David with the kids when they came up here that summer," she pauses as Sam looks at the picture closer.

"Wasn't Jonathan a cutie?" she asks as Jack walks into the room.

"He sure was. Is this the first summer they brought the kids up?" Sam asks handing the photo back.

"Yes it was. Jonathan was only five or six years old if my memory serves me right."

"I was seven that summer, Dave was five," Jack says.

The women both turn to face him.

Leona smiles, "Oh that's right. I was just showing Samantha some pictures I found when I was cleaning my house."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come and take a look at that water heater?" Jack asks, hoping he can lure her away before she tells her life story to Sam.

"Oh I called the repair company and a nice young service man is coming out later today to fix it."

"Okay," Jack says as he moves toward the kitchen, trying to think of a way to get rid of her. As he sets down the bags of groceries he hears Sam's voice.

"Actually Leona would you mind giving Jack and I a moment to…"

"Oh where are my manners, of course you would like to be alone. Well now you have my phone number, if you need anything just ring down to me."

Jack watches as she stands and shuffles out the door. He stands quietly until he hears her car start and pull away from the house before he lets out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He turns to look at Sam to see her standing and moving toward him.

"So, what do you think of my neighbourhood?" he asks.

Sam gives him a small smile, "It's nice. Do you think we could talk about things? I won't be able to relax until we figure some things out."

"Yeah, sure. Let's talk."

Sam takes a slow breath, "On the way up here you said there could be another way to approach this."

"I've retired once and I could do it again. It would take a lot less explaining than you stepping down and it would give you the opportunity to move forward in your career as well as solving this issue."

"And just to be clear, when you say this issue…"

"I mean the more than professional relationship we have now that is in complete disregard of regulations."

Sam blushes slightly, "How do you think Hammond will take that news?"

"Well I don't plan on telling him the reason I'm resigning is that I've had a sexual relationship with my subordinate."

"Okay point taken. What would you tell him?" Sam asks.

"I have a few ideas," Jack says.

AN: I don't know about you but I am looking forward to the next few bits. I'll work on getting them finished soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Jack stands outside Hammond's office and suddenly feels like he's back in high school waiting for the principle to open the door. His palms begin to grow clammy as he hears the familiar call to enter. He opens the door and steps inside.

"Do you have a minute?" he barely hears himself ask.

"Of course, what's on your mind Colonel?" George replies as he leans back in his chair.

"I just wanted to give you this Sir," he says holding out the formal resignation for Hammond to take.

He wait until Hammond looks up from reading it.

"Can I ask why?" George asks, laying the paper on his desk.

"After the funeral my sister asked if I would be able to help her with taking care of my mother's estate but I can't do that if I'm going off world all the time."

"I respect that, but I have to tell you that I don't think the joint chiefs will even think twice before rejecting your resignation."

Jack looks at him, confusion clouding his mind, "And why is that?"

"I was told not to say anything until it was official but given the circumstances I think you need to be made aware of some changes that are about to happen."

Jacks mouth goes dry as George shifts in his chair to lean forward, "I am stepping down. This assignment wasn't supposed to last this long and I am much farther past retirement than I was ready for. With me gone this job would automatically fall to you and that would mean you would need to assign a new team leader to SG1 ASAP."

"And when is this supposed to happen?" Jack asks, his head starting to spin.

"In the next few weeks. You're long overdue for a promotion and there are a few people that have decided you shouldn't have to wait much longer. I am supposed to make the official announcement the end of this week."

"Can I have some time to think it over?"

"Take all the time you want but keep in mind that this is happening. If you accept the promotion then you'll be in command here and if not then someone else will be assigned to run the SGC and from what I could tell you are the only officer being looked at for the position. The rest are civilians or politicians."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack slams the door on his truck much harder than he intended as he pulls out his cell and dials Sam's number. He curses under his breath when she doesn't answer and hangs up. He cranks the key and the engine fires. He tries to think of a solution to the problem as he drives to her house but by the time he arrives all he has figured out is that he is really good at giving himself a headache.

He knocks on the front door and waits for Sam to answer. As she opens the door he watches the smile on her face melt into a look of concern, one that tells him he looks about as bad as he feels.

"What happened?" she asks.

"Well, after a very long meeting, you are looking at the new base commander," he says all in one breath.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Silence stretches between them as Jack waits for Sam to say something.

"So now what?" Sam asks finally.

"That is the question that I've been asking myself since I left the mountain."

Sam takes a breath as she looks at the man she loves and can't help but think about how close they were to getting what they want yet how far away it still is.

"So when does it become official?" she asks.

"I'm heading to DC the end of this week to get debriefed, then I'll be back before Hammond leaves next week, to take over."

"What about SG1?" Sam asks, her teammates suddenly popping into her head.

"Well until I can find a new CO for the team SG1 is off the roster."

"And how long will that be?"

"I have no idea."

Sam leans back in her chair as her mind begins to go over all the options. Suddenly she sits forward.

"What if you stepping down wasn't the only way?"

"We talked about you leaving the military and besides the fact that I don't want to watch you end your career, I don't think it's a good idea for you to try that right now given the way it could look."

"I know, and you're right about that. But I had another idea. There is nothing that says I can't request a transfer."

"Transfer to where?"

"Area 51."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack let's Sam's words sink in for a moment before speaking, "And what would that solve?"

"A lot of things. I wouldn't have to leave the Air Force but I wouldn't be under you command anymore so we could be as public as we wanted and I would be able to spend more time working the projects that I don't have time to work on while I'm on an active team. It would be long distance but there are always things needing to be transported from the SGC so I could see you at work and we could spend the weekends together," she pauses.

Jack waits for her to continue.

"What do you think?" she asks.

"I think we should've stayed in my cabin."

"We can't hide forever," she says, giving him a half-hearted smile.

"So, to be together we have to be apart?"

He watches as Sam looks down, a hint of sadness on her face. He stands and pulls her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"We'll make it through this. Let's just deal with all this one step at a time," he says as his phone starts buzzing in his pocket.

He pulls it from his pocket without letting go of Sam and answers it.

"O'Neill…yes…can you tell me what this is concerning?...alright, I'll head down there now."

Sam lifts her head from his chest as he loosens his grip on her.

"That was the police, I have to go to the hospital."

"What? Why?" she asks as he grabs his coat.

"I haven't the foggiest. I'll call you later?" he says as he heads toward the front door.

AN: Alright this took me a little longer than I thought it would but the next bit is in the works. Thanks to all the readers that have taken an interest in this adventure, you guys are the best.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack sits in the dark in his living room as the last few hours play over in his head. He faintly hears a knock at his front door but he ignores it as he sips the now warm beer in his hand. After a moment there is another knock, then the sound of the door opening.

"Jack?" he hears Sam's voice calling him from the hallway.

"Living room," he says, barely recognizing his own voice.

A moment later a light comes on with a click and Sam appears next to him, concern painted across her face.

"You never called and I was getting worried."

"Sorry, kinda slipped my mind."

"Is everything all right?" she asks as she sits carefully next to him.

"Not really."

"What did the police want?"

"They called me to the hospital to tell me that Sara had been in an accident."

"Sara? As in...?"

"My ex-wife."

"Oh, is she okay?"

"She didn't make it."

"I'm so sorry," Sam says laying her hand on his arm. "What happened?"

"From what they told me she was riding in the car with her dad, who was driving. They said he had stroke and swerved into oncoming traffic."

Sam puts her hand to her mouth as he continues.

"They said the driver of the truck they collided with will be fine, but both Sara and her dad died on impact if he wasn't gone before that."

"Jack, I…I don't even know what to say."

"Oh there's more," he says, bringing the beer to his lips for another swig. "There was a car seat in the backseat."

"There was a child in the car?" Sam asks in surprise.

"Yeah, a little boy."

"Is he alright?"

"He didn't even have a bruise on him."

"Whose child did they have with them?"

"That's where it gets interesting. He was Sara's son."

"Poor thing, to lose his mother like that. Were they able to contact the father?"

"Yep, and apparently as there are no other living relatives…" Jack pauses and shakes his head slightly. "He will be coming to live with me as soon as child services finishes the paperwork."

"Wait, what? Are you telling me he's yours?"

"They double and triple checked the results while I was at the hospital."

"Why didn't you tell me you had another son?" Sam asks.

Jack looks at her, "If I had known about him I would have. The only thing I can figure is that she was pregnant when we got divorced and decided not to tell me about him."

They sit in silence for several minutes. Jack tips his bottle to find it empty so he stands and moves into the kitchen. As he grabs another beer he looks over his shoulder.

"You want a beer?"

"Sure," Sam answers, her voice telling him she is far away, lost in thought.

He grabs two and heads back to the couch. As he settles into his seat again he passes one to Sam after disposing of the cap, then pops the top off of his and tosses them both on the coffee table.

"So this changes things," Sam says finally.

"Not for you…"

"For both of us. We made a choice and I am in this with you. We just need to decide how to handle this moving forward. Besides it would be better for a child to have a mother figure as well as a father figure present in their life. Trust me on that. So what do we call him?"

"His name is Theodore."

Sam gives Jack a small smile, "Just Theodore?"

"Theodore Blake O'Neill."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack starts pacing, almost as if his life depended on the movement. After a few moments he hears a soft laugh and he stops. Sam is sitting comfortably on the couch with Teal'c and Daniel is occupying the chair in the corner looking amused.

"I'm not sure what you guys find so entertaining about this," he mutters.

"Not entertaining so much as interesting that you are going to be a father now," Daniel says.

"He has been a father since the birth of his son, regardless of whether or not he knew of his existence," Teal'c corrects.

"Thank you Teal'c, but pointing out that I didn't know about him isn't helping the nerves," Jack says.

"Well I personally think that you are going to do great," Sam says encouragingly.

"Thanks Carter," Jack replies as she resumes pacing. After a few minutes he pause to look at his watch. He shakes it and holds it to his ear. Just as he hears the ticking that tells him its' working there is a knock at the front door. He looks at his team, his family, at Sam. She smiles and nods toward the door. He draws a deep breath and walks to the door. He opens it to find a woman standing facing him with a smile.

"Hi, my name is Pam Mercer. I was assigned your son's case," she says holding her hand out.

Jack takes the out stretched hand and does his best to smile calmly back at her, "Jack O'Neill."

She smiles as he pauses awkwardly, "You're not the first surprised father I've had to work with. So I'll just give you a quick rundown of the program before you meet Teddy."

"Okay, would you like to come inside?"

She smiles and steps into the house. He closes the front door then leads her into the living room.

"So this is T, Major Samantha Carter, and Dr. Daniel Jackson, we work together and they are the closest thing I have to family. This is Pam Mercer, the case worker," Jack says, indicating each person in turn.

Pam smiles at the group, "It's wonderful to meet you all. One thing I like to see when I'm helping a child get situated in a new home is a good support system for the new guardians. In all my years of experience the kids tend to adjust much easier than the adults."

"Well we are willing to help out any way we can," Daniel says as Pam pulls out a note book.

"So, I have a few things I need to ask each of you," she says politely.

"Ask away," Jack say as everyone settles into their seats.

"Since it has been determined that you are Teddy's father there are only a few things that we have to know prior to allowing him to be under your care. I'm not sure how much you know, but after the accident Ms. O'Neill's lawyer contacted us with the necessary documentation that will allow you to be his sole guardian. She did not list you on the birth certificate, which is probably the reason you had no knowledge of his birth. She did, however state in her last will and testament that you, as his father, should be the one to raise him in the event of her death. That being said the only concern that we have is the fact that you are listed as currently serving in the military and so we need to verify that you will not be serving overseas or on any long-term deployments while Teddy is under the age of 18."

Jack takes a breath and locks eyes with Sam for a moment, who smiles encouragingly at him, before answering, "I can guarantee that will not be an issue thanks to a recent promotion. I won't be going any farther than the base and an occasional trip to DC, but those trips would only be a day or two at most."

Pam smiles as she writes in her notebook. Jack looks around the room to find Daniel and Teal'c both staring at him. Great, just when he thought keeping this quite was going to be easy. He shifts in his seat as he thinks about the bomb he just dropped on his friends and how he is going to explain this all to them.

AN: Alright the next bit or two should be interesting. I hope you're looking forward them as much as I am.


	10. Chapter 10

Finally Jack shows Pam to the front door.

"So when will I get to meet Teddy?" he asks.

"Usually we wait until we can do background checks but in this case I can make a note that it isn't necessary because of the military factor so I should be able to bring him over in a couple of hours if that works for you. And then I'll stop by a couple of times over then next month just to make sure you guys are settling in. One last thing I forgot to ask, is there someone living here besides you? "

"Nope, just me. The spare room will be all his," Jack hears himself say.

"Alright, well I will see you in a couple of hours."

Jack closes the door and heads back into his living room where he finds Daniel standing beside the couch, arms folded across his chest and his glasses in one hand.

"So I feel like somewhere along the way I got lost. It almost sounded like you told her you wouldn't be travelling for work thanks to a promotion?" Daniel asks.

"That's what I told her."

"Okay, promotion to what exactly?"

Jack takes a breath, "Hammond is stepping down and I'm taking over as commander of the SGC."

"Who will then be in command of SG1?" Teal'c asks.

"For the time being, no one. But that is one of the things that I'll be discussing with the Joint Chiefs when I head to DC in a few days."

"So what's happening in the meantime?" Daniel asks.

"Well SG1 is being removed from active duty but if there is another team that could use your expertise than you would be free to join them temporarily."

Daniel shifts his gaze to Sam, "And you're fine with this?"

"As an officer in the military I have experienced several situations like this. It's not like these choices are up to us, we get orders and we have to follow them," she says.

"And how many times in the last few years have we, as a team, have been given direct orders that we ignore?"

"That's different," Sam replies.

"How is that different from now?"

"Because if I had turned this down we would've been stuck with some shrub like Kinsey running the SGC. And that's if they decided not to suspend gate travel completely."

Daniel's face softens slightly, "I didn't realize things were coming to that."

"Well I think we could have ended up with someone much worse," Sam says, then looks at Jack and winces. "That didn't come out right."

"Look, it's not like I asked for this. I've never wanted to have a desk…"

"O'Neill, do you not possess a desk in your office?" Teal'c asks.

"I have an office?" Jack asks, feigning surprise.

"Maybe this will be a good thing. I mean being in charge of things could have its perks," Daniel says.

"For example?" Jack asks as he moves to sit in his chair.

"Better parking spot?" Daniel suggests.

"Not to mention the pay check," Sam says with a smile.

" And I like the sound of General O'Neill. The only down side I can think of is that fact that I'll be 'the man'."

"Have you not always been a man?" Teal'c asks.

The group chuckles as Jack shakes his head.

"You know, I'm gonna miss all the fun now."

"I'm sure you'll be able to go through the gate from time to time Sir," Sam says.

"And I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun on base," Daniel adds, with a grin.

Jack locks eyes with Sam for a moment, "Oh, I'm sure."

To his pleasure she breaks eye contact first as her cheeks begin to flush and a surreptitious smile spreads across her face. A comfortable hush falls. After several minutes Daniel clears his throat.

"So, when is Teddy getting here?"

"In a couple of hours," Jack replies.

"And you have his room set up?"

"More or less. I still need to get all the stuff from his room at Sara's house," Jack says as he stands and heads into the kitchen.

"Do you have any food for him to eat?" Sam asks.

Jack opens the fridge, "I have beer...and half a leftover pizza."

Sam looks over his shoulder, "Sir, that pizza has blue hair on it."

"Haven't you ever heard of blue cheese?"

Daniel joins them in the kitchen, "Why don't Sam and I run to get a few of his things that way you guys have a few minutes to get to know one another. And we can grab some groceries on our way back."

"I am capable of taking care of all this stuff you know," Jack says, turning to look at his friends.

"We are aware that you are qualified to provide superlative care for your son. We only wish to offer our assistance," Teal'c states, moving into the doorway.

"And I appreciate it."

"Well, just keep in mind that we're here if you need anything," Daniel says as he heads back to the living room.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack stands frozen, his heart pounding and his palms sweating. The knocking comes again but he can't get his legs to move himself forward. Suddenly he feels a hand on his arm and Daniel appears next to him.

"Let's meet your son," he urges him in a gentle voice.

Jack forces himself to take a deep breath and move toward the door. As his hand reaches out he finds himself wishing he was anywhere but here.

His mind begins racing. How is he going to raise a son? What if Teddy hates him? That's possible isn't it? I mean it's not like they've ever met so how can this boy possibly like a complete stranger?

Finally his hand meets the cold metal of the knob and he opens the door. A wave of serenity washes over him as he comes face to face with his son. Teddy locks eyes with him for a moment before a smile appears on his face and he lifts his arms to Jack, a raggedy teddy bear hanging in one hand.

Jack drops to his knees and in a moment Teddy moves forward, wrapping his little arms around Jack's neck. Carefully Jack hugs the small boy back. Teddy lets go and steps back, looking at Jack with eyes as dark bra-own as Jack's own.

"Pam said you are my daddy," Teddy says.

Jack swallows hard, "That's right little man."

"Where's my mommy?"

Pam smiles sympathetically and kneels beside Teddy, "Remember I told you your mommy took a long trip? You are going to live with your daddy now."

Teddy nods his little head then looks back to Jack, "I'ma live with you?"

"Yeah, is that okay?"

"Uh-huh," Teddy says then holds his bear out to Jack. "This is my bear. His name is Jack."

"Well that's a nice name."

"I like you."

Jack smiles at him, "I like you too."

AN: Okay, next bit is in the works and I'm hoping to have it done this week.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack walks the familiar halls of the base on his way to see his soon-to-be CMO, his mind racing. There is a lot he has to talk with her about and not much time to do it. As he approaches her office he sees her standing with a nurse. He takes a breath and walks over to them.

"Morning," he says, trying to sound casual.

Janet smiles at him, "Good morning to you Sir. What can I do for you?"

"Do you have a minute?"

The nurse close the file in her hands, "I'll get this taken care of right away."

Janet nods to her as she walks away then looks back at him, "I'm all yours."

Jack takes a breath, "I'm being promoted, Hammond is stepping down, so I have to go to DC tomorrow but I need to ask you a favor. I just found out I have a son and he came to live with me permanently yesterday. I can't take him with me this trip so I was wondering if you could watch him while I'm out of town?"

"I would be happy to watch your son, but if I may ask..."

"I asked you because I thought Cassie could keep an eye on him while you're here. I would've asked Carter but she has too much on her plate already with all the doohickeys she is working on. And why don't you look surprised?"

"General Hammond stopped by yesterday to tell me about the change in command and Sam was just here telling me a little about your day yesterday. And I was just going to ask what his name is, she didn't mention it."

"Oh, his name is Teddy."

"And how old is our little Teddy?" Janet asks with a warm smile.

"He just turned three a few months ago."

"Well we're looking forward to meeting him. What time do you want me to pick him up?"

"Actually, as he is getting settled into a new home it would be better if you could watch him at my house. I don't want to confuse him anymore than I have to," Jack says.

"That is perfectly understandable. So what time do you leave tomorrow?"

"I have to fly out at 0900 and I should be back either late tomorrow or early Saturday morning."

"Cassie and I will be there at 0730."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack knocks on the open door to Sam's lab. She looks up from the laptop in front of her and a smile lights up her face.

"Is it too early to say congratulations Sir?"

"For what Carter?"

"General Hammond told me about your promotion this morning."

"The one you already knew about?"

"Yeah, that one."

"How'd you handle that?"

"I congratulated him on his retirement."

"Uh-huh, well I just stopped by to let you know I'll be gone til Saturday."

"Okay..." Sam says slowly.

"I asked Doc if she and Cassie could keep an eye on Teddy but if you have time to stop by I think he would like that. He was asking about you when Daniel and T showed up this morning."

"Of course I'll stop by to see him. Are they staying at your house with him?"

"I asked them to do that, yeah."

"And what time do you leave tomorrow?"

"My flight is at 1000. Can I stop by and see you before that?" he asks, his voice low.

"Of course, what time?"

"I'll call you," he replies, his dark eyes locking intently on hers.

Jack watches a faint flush appear on her cheeks before he turns and leaves.

He heads back up to the surface. As he rides alone in the elevator the thought of seeing Sam alone brings a smile to his face. An image from the cabin flashes into his mind.

 _Sam laying beneath him, her bare chest heaving, her eyes closed and her body covered in a sheen of perspiration. He gently withdraws from her then positions himself next to her, gathering her into his arms._

 _"Do you need anything?" he asks, tucking a few stray hairs behind her ear._

 _"No, I'm good," she replies._

 _"You are so much better than good," he mutters._

 _He feels her head turn towards him slightly, "You're not too bad yourself."_

 _The sultry sound of her voice warms him and he feels himself growing hard in spite of just having finished. He opens his mouth but Sam cuts him off._

 _"I'm flattered, but I think I need to rest for a moment or two first."_

 _It's only then that he realizes his erection is resting against her thigh._

 _He smirks, "What if I told you it's just my side arm?"_

 _"I'd have to tell you I am fully aware of the difference."_

He is yanked back to reality as the doors slide open and several people join him on the ride upward. He wastes no time in reaching he truck or heading back to his home.

As he walks through the front door he hears the faint sounds of the television coming from the living room. he stops just outside the door when he sees Teal'c sitting on the couch watching some 90's sitcom with Teddy sleeping on his lap.

"You've got a pretty great kid there," Daniel says emerging from the kitchen.

Jack looks at him, "So how'd thing go?"

"We played for a bit but then he found a toy that Sara gave him and he asked when she and his grandfather were coming back again."

"What'd you say?"

"I told him he needed to ask you." Daniel pauses, "So when's the funeral?"

"Sunday."

"If you want T and I can come."

"I'd appreciate that. So, I'm headin to DC tomorrow; Doc and Cassie are going to watch him while I'm gone but I was hoping you and Carter could stop by to see him, familiar faces and all that."

"Sure thing."

Jack turns back toward the living room as the thought that he has a son hits him again and takes a deep breath as his mind starts racing through how in the last few days things have changed so much and how much more they are about to.

AN: Okay I know it took me a little longer than I had planned to get this bit done but that parenthood for you. I am hoping this week goes a little smoother so I can get the next bit done for all of you.


	12. Chapter 12

Jack raises his hand to knock on the door but it opens before he has a chance. Inside Sam is standing with a smile and little else.

"Good morning," she says, her voice warm.

His eyes wander up and down her body taking in the sight of her. The long black sheer robe she has donned is tied just under her breasts, the soft black lace leaving little to the imagination. His gaze travels down her toned stomach to the small triangle of fabric that comes to a point at the junction of her thighs and he finds himself getting hard.

"Wow," he says stepping into the house and closing the door.

"So I take you like it?" she asks.

"I think I'd like it better on the floor," he says as he wraps his arms around Sam and leans in for a kiss.

She returns his kiss and he feels her start moving back slowly. Without letting go he moves back with her. She finally breaks the kiss and looks into his eyes.

"How long do we have?" she asks, gently removing his uniform jacket and starts undoing the buttons on his shirt.

"Long enough for this," he says as he nuzzles his way from her jawline down her neck to her collarbone.

"Then let's do it right," she says softly in his ear.

He lets her lead him to her bed. She slides her hands over his shoulders, pushing his shirt down his arms and letting it fall to the floor. Slowly she runs her hands down his chest, her touch setting his skin on fire. He sucks in a sharp breath as her hands move to the bulge in his pants. Her gaze travels to his face and she gives him a sultry smile as she grabs the belt. She removes it slowly, sliding it out of the belt loops one at a time until its free then she drops it on the floor with his shirt and hooks her fingers in two of the loops and pulls him back with her to the edge of the bed. She moves onto the bed and pulls his on top of her. He settles on top of her then leans down to kiss her again briefly before lifting his head and looking at her.

"Sam..."

She smiles, "I know."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack pulls his pants up and fastens them before grabbing his belt and putting it in place. When he looks up Sam is pulling a new shirt from her wardrobe for him.

"Just so you know, I actually meant to talk to you this morning before I got sidetracked."

She smiles, "Good to know I can sidetrack you so well. So what's on your mind?"

"Things are going to be different now."

"I know."

"I guess I was wondering if you had changed your mind about requesting a transfer."

"I haven't made up my mind one way or the other as of yet, why?"

Jack takes a breath as he gatherers his thoughts, "Because I am only taking this job temporarily."

"Jack..."

"I've given this a lot of thought and given certain recent events I think it's in Teddy's best interest if I find someone to take over command of the base ASAP. He hasn't even come to terms with losing his mother yet and I don't want to put him in a position to lose the only parent he has left."

"So, Teddy is the only reason you're doing this?"

"Officially."

"And unofficially?"

Jack steps toward her and gently lifts her chin with his hand until she is looking up at him, "You know I have other reasons. Much more selfish ones."

Sam relaxes, "So how do you see this playing out?"

"I'm headed to DC to accept the promotion and once I get back I'll start looking for a replacement. In the mean time I also have to think about finding a 2IC and new leader for SG1. I have a few ideas on people I just need to work out the details."

"And what happens until you find someone to take over the team? Daniel, Teal'c and I just put everything on hold?

"If you would like that better but no. Hammond received a request for you to work on a project in Area 51 but it would be temporary, only until the project is finished. If you accept it, Daniel and Teal'c would be temporarily assigned to another team."

"So for the time being there is no more SG1."

"Only if you go to Area 51. Do you trust me?"

Sam gives him a small smile, "With my life."

"Then trust me when I say that I am going to do everything my power to make this work."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack grabs his bag off the carousel and heads outside. As he steps to the curb a black Lincoln pulls up and the driver jumps out. Jack watches him move around the car and open the back door.

"Please get in Sir," The man says, holding the door open and gesturing for Jack to enter.

Jack slides into the back seat and he shakes his head when he sees Kinsey sitting next to him with a file on his lap.

"You know, when I found out that you were going to be replacing Hammond in the SGC I must admit I had to question whether or not that was a smart move."

"Good to see you too," Jack says sarcastically as the driver shuts the door and heads back around to the front of the car.

"I think we need to get something strait here. You may be in charge of the base but I'm in charge of you. I control every move you make and the sooner you understand that the better things will be for you."

Jack smiles, "Let me be clear, the day I take my orders from you will be the day hell freezes over."

"I promise you don't want to make an enemy of me General," Kinsey says, emphasizing the last word.

"As far as I'm concerned you are already are my enemy and I took an oath to defend against enemies both foreign and domestic. Now if you wouldn't mind dropping me off at the White House, I have an appointment."

"You'll regret this," Kinsey says angrily.

"Not as much as I would if I listened to you."

AN: I thought I'd give you an update to enjoy over the weekend. Hope you have a great couple of days and I'll see you next week ;)


	13. Chapter 13

The sky is dark by the time Jack arrives at the hotel. He checks in then heads to his room. Tossing his bag on the chair in the corner of the room he flops on the bed ungracefully and closes his eyes. His head pounding after the hours of meetings. He finds himself wondering if he had known what all this was going to entail would he still have accepted the promotion.

'Eh, who am I kidding? I'd rather be stuck doing this than have some damn civilian running things that doesn't know shit about what we do there,' he thinks with a sigh.

An image of Sam flashes into his mind as he lays there; her blue eyes giving him a playful look as she sits on the couch in the cabin wrapped in a fur blanket. He groans and sits up on the edge of the bed then grabs the phone off the cradle. He pauses for a moment then holds the phone to his ear and dials the number from memory. After a few rings he hears the familiar voice he was hoping to.

"Hammond"

"It's me."

"Ah, Jack, how's DC?"

"Well, Kinsey met me at the airport and offered to give me a ride to my meeting. I assume that means things can only get better from here."

Hammond chuckles, "What can I do for ya son?"

"I just needed to run something by you. More so to find out if you think I'm crazy than anything else."

"I'm all ears."

"I have been toying with the idea of giving a very smart officer a promotion, the problem is she was just promoted and I can't think of a convincing reason."

"I see, and can I ask why you were thinking about that?"

"Carter should be leading SG1. She's been under me for the last couple of years and I can't think of anyone better for that job. Plus, if she was Lt. Colonel she could also be my 2IC on base."

"To be honest Jack I couldn't agree with you more, but you know as well as I do there are rules about just giving out promotions."

"That's the part I was hoping you could help me with. Now that I'm a flag officer there is an open space for someone to be bumped up but I don't think the brass would allow it to be her right now."

"Well if you want my advice…"

"That's why I called Sir."

"Send her to Area 51 for a few months like they requested. Let her help them out with their projects then bring her back and promote her. It'd be a little over a year as Major by then and she would more than qualify for a promotion below-the-zone. Then it's just a matter of proving that she is more valuable at the SGC than anywhere else."

Jack nods his head slowly as he contemplates her being gone for even a few months.

"You know, as long as she is out from under your command you would be breaking any frat regs," Hammond says.

"Sir?"

"Don't think I don't know what you're really trying to avoid here. I may not comment on somethings but that doesn't mean I haven't noticed 'em," Hammond says, his accent getting slightly thicker than normal.

"May I ask how long…"

"I've known that you two share a similar concupiscence?"

Jack shifts uncomfortably, "I wouldn't have put it quite like that Sir."

"Are you telling me I am wrong in my assessment of you and Major Carter?"

"Well, no. But, I wouldn't have used that word."

"Then by all means Jack, finish your question."

"I don't think it's necessary Sir."

"To answer your question, I've had my suspicions for a while. But I didn't ask because I didn't notice anything to suggest that your judgement was being impaired."

"Don't ask, don't tell?"

Hammond chuckles slightly, "I suppose so."

"Well, thanks for the advice."

"Anytime Jack. So when are you heading back?"

"I have a flight out first thing in the morning."

"Sounds good. See you Monday morning."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Daniel shifts his car into park and looks at Sam.

"You up for some company?" he asks.

"Sure, should we get a pizza?"

"I could eat."

Sam smiles as she leads the way up the walk to her front door.

"So Teddy's a great kid," Daniel says as Sam opens the door.

"Yeah, he is. And the Colonel will be a great dad," Sam says as she reaches for her phone.

"He seemed really drawn to you," Daniel says as she grabs the number of her favorite pizza place out of a drawer.

"That makes sense though since he has really only ever lived with his mother up til now."

"So how do you think he'll adjust to living with Jack?"

"He's young enough the adjustment shouldn't be too hard on him."

"And living with his dad will probably make things easier for him than living with strangers would."

Sam smiles empathetically before quickly ordering their dinner.

A short while later there is a knock at the door.

Sam stands, "So you wanna watch a movie?"

"I don't have any other plans tonight so why not? What are you in the mood for?" Daniel asks as she moves toward the door.

"You pick, but it better be good."

"I'll see what I can find."

Sam pays for the pizza then heads back to the living room where Daniel is clicking thru the channels on the TV. As she sets the pizza down he stops on a channel.

"This could be interesting," he says nodding at the screen.

Sam watches for a moment then heads into the kitchen, "What's it about?"

"An archaeologist and his father looking for the Holy Grail."

"Alright, you want a beer?"

"Sure."

Sam returns to the couch and joins Daniel as the movie plays. By the time the movie ends Sam finds herself yawning.

"I'd better get going. See you tomorrow?" Daniel says standing.

"Yep," she replies, stretching slightly.

As Daniel leaves Sam stands and heads to her room only to stop when she hears her phone ringing. She grabs it, muttering a curse to whomever is screwing things up bad enough to call her in the middle of the night before answering.

"Carter"

"Did I wake you?"

She smiles at the sound of Jack's voice.

"No, I haven't gone to bed yet."

"Oh good, I just wanted to ask if you'd mind swinging by my place in the morning before the funeral?"

"Sure, can I ask why?"

"Well I am going to try to explain what we are going to be doing to Teddy and I could use a little support. Also I need to talk to you face to face."

"Well that sounds serious," she says jokingly.

"It is a little bit I guess. I'll be home around 0800, why don't you stop by around 1030."

"Okay, see you in the morning."

"Good night Samantha."

AN: Sorry I haven't posted this sooner but I have a feeling until after the holidays it may take a little longer for me to update but I will keep trying for at least once a week. Hope you guys have a great weekend.


	14. Chapter 14

Brilliant rays of morning sunshine are filtering thru the window as Jack stands in the doorway of the room where his son is sleeping soundly. He hears movement behind him as Janet joins him at the doorway.

"He did great. Cassie had so much fun watching him yesterday she asked if she could watch him more often," Janet says softly.

"That would be very helpful when I have to go to DC," Jack responds.

"I'll tell her that. Well I am going to take her home to get ready and we'll see you guys in a couple of hours for the memorial service."

"Thanks for this Doc."

Janet lays her hand on Jacks arm before quietly leaving. Jack watches Teddy for a few moments longer before turning to leave.

"Daddy?" Teddy's small voice calls to him.

He turns to see the small boy sitting up in his bed, his little arms wrapped tightly around the neck of his teddy bear.

"Hi buddy," Jack says as he moves to the side of the bed. He sits gently and Teddy drops his bear and throws himself into Jacks arms.

"I am happy you came back," his little voice says, muffled as he buries his face in Jack's chest.

"Why wouldn't I have come back?"

"My mommy left when I was sleeping and that lady said she is never coming back."

Jack takes a breath as he contemplates how to explain the situation. "You know your mom didn't want to leave you, right?"

"Then why did she go?"

"Teddy, I think we need to talk about what happened to your mom and why you're living with me now."

Jack pauses but before he can continue he hears a knock at the front door and lets out the breath he had been holding in a short huff.

"Stay here for a minute bud and I'll be right back," he says moving Teddy back into the bed.

"Okay."

Jack stands and hands him his bear before heading to the front door. He pulls it open to find Sam standing in a simple black dress and heels.

"Hi," she says with a smile, but it fade to a look of concern when she sees Jack's face. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Teddy was asking about his mom again and I was trying to figure out how to explain why she's gone."

Sam gives him a sad smile and lays her hand on his arm, "Would you like me to talk to him?"

Jack lets out a breath, "Can you?"

"Of course."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sam follows Jack to Teddy's room where he stops outside the doorway and looks at her.

"Do you think he's too young to understand?" he asks.

"Kids understand a lot more than they are given credit for. I'll talk to him and see how much he get but it might be a good idea for you to be close, just in case he reacts badly."

Sam waits for Jack to nod and then she enters the room. Teddy is sitting in his bed playing with a small bear when she walks in but he drops it and smiles at her.

"Hi Sam," he says, jumping off the bed and throwing his arms around her legs.

"Hi Teddy. How are you this morning?"

"I'm good but Jack is sad."

"Is he? And why is that?"

"Because daddy was gone in the night and Jack couldn't sleep because he was keeping the monsters away from me."

Sam smiles as she realizes he is referring to the bear on his bed, "Oh, well you are going to be with your dad today so Jack can get some sleep so he's happy again. How does that sound."

"Good. Why are you here?"

"Because your dad asked me do something very important with the two of you today."

"What?"

Sam steps toward the bed and sits on the edge before pulling Teddy up onto her lap.

"Well, you know that you are going to be living with your dad from now on right?"

"Yes."

"Do you know why?"

"Because my mommy went away."

"That's almost right."

"Why did she leave? Did she not love me anymore?"

"Oh no, I'm sure your mother loves you very much."

"Then why did she go?"

Sam takes a breath and thinks back to when her mother had died.

"You know, when I was young my mom went away too. My dad told me that because I had him to take care of me my mom was able to go live the angels in heaven and even though I would miss her it was better for her to be there."

"Did my mommy go to heaven too?"

"Yes she did. And today we are going to have a special day to remember her and how much she loved you. But your dad is pretty sad so do you think you will be able to be brave for him?"

"Can I give him a hug?"

"That would help him so much," Sam says as Teddy jumps off her lap and runs out of the room in search of Jack. She stands and runs her hands down the front of her dress to smooth out the wrinkles before moving into the hallway. She pauses in the doorway when she sees Jack on one knee, his arms wrapped around the small figure of his son. He lifts his head and looks at her. They lock eyes for a moment before he mouths the words 'thank you'. Sam smiles at him and inclines her head slightly.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack stands in the fresh air, Teddy's' little hand in his as Sara's casket is lowered into the grave. As it nears the bottom Janet leans down to Teddy and hands him a rose, telling him to leave it for his mom. Jack barely feels the child's hand slip from his as Teddy steps toward the open grave and tosses the rose in before turning and moving back to Jack's side. As the service comes to an end Jack feels Teddy's arms wrap around his leg and he move a hand to the back of the boys head, ruffling the soft hair.

After another few minutes that feel more like an eternity he realizes everything is over. He looks toward the grave and feels torn. He knew he had still had feeling for Sara but now that she was gone he found himself wondering how things would've been if she had told him about Teddy from the beginning. He flinches when he feels a hand on his shoulder. He turns his head to see Daniel standing beside him.

"You okay?" Daniel asks him.

"Yeah, just peachy."

"Teddy seemed to handle this all pretty well."

"Carter talked to him this morning."

"So how are you handling this?"

"I'm fine Daniel."

"Sorry if I don't believe you, but I know you better than that. You just found out that your ex-wife was killed before she could tell you that you had another son and now you are trying to figure out if she would've ever told you about him. I have to believe that if she was going to tell you about him she would've done it by now. Knowing that, I'm sure you're trying to figure out how this is your fault but the truth is this whole thing played out how she wanted."

Jack looks at his friend, "If this is you trying to make me feel better it's not working."

"Nothing that anyone can say will make you feel better about this situation Jack. That's completely up to you."

Daniel turns and walks away leaving Jack alone. He looks around for Teddy and finally spots him standing with Janet and Cassie by their car so he heads over to join them. As she gets close Teddy turns to him with a smile.

"Can we daddy?"

"Can we what? I missed the first part of that," he says looking at Janet.

"With everything going on I thought you guys could come over for dinner tonight," she explains.

"Oh yeah, that would be great. Would you mind if I drop him off a little early? I have some things I need to get figured out before tomorrow."

"We could just take him with us now if you'd like," Janet offers.

"If that wouldn't be too much trouble."

"Of course not, I know how much of an adjustment this is and I'm happy to help," She says, giving Cassie a quick smile.

"Okay, so what time for dinner?"

"Let's say around 5."

"I'll be there."

Jack kneels down and looks at Teddy, "Alright buddy, you are going to hang out with Cassie and I'll be back in a bit, okay?"

"Okay daddy."

Jack ruffles Teddy's hair slightly as he stands and heads to his truck. As he digs his keys out of his pocket he sees Sam's car behind his truck and takes a breath before walks over to her.

"Are you busy?" he asks when she rolls her window down.

"No, you said you wanted to talk?"

"I know a place, follow me?"

"Okay."

Jack gets in his truck and heads to a little diner. Once they are inside a hostess seats them and offers to bring them coffee before leaving them alone.

"So, what's up?" Sam asks.

"I think you should take the position at Area 51."

"You thi…okay…can I ask why?" Sam asks, confusion clouding her face.

"Because it will be what's best for us in more ways than one at the moment."

Sam sits back as the waitress brings them each a cup and fills them with coffee. After she offers to give them more time to decide she leaves them alone once again and Sam looks at Jack.

"How is my leaving best for us?"

"As long as you are under my command we are breaking regs. If you were to transfer it would be different. And the transfer wouldn't have to be permanent. They have some things they need your help with and once you've finished a couple of projects you could transfer back here."

Then we'd be right back to where we are now."

"No, we wouldn't. I can't explain right now but I need you to trust me Sam. I can't stand the thought of you being so far away but I promise it is what is best for now."

Sam lets out a breath and sips her coffee before speaking, "When would you need an answer?"

"Tomorrow morning," Jack replies as he reaches for her hand across the table. As his hand touches hers he locks eyes with her setting loose a flurry of butterflies in his stomach.

"Please Sam, trust me."

"I trust you with my life," she pauses and pulls her hand away slowly.

"I promise this won't last forever."

"I know. How long do you think I should plan on being there?"

"Could be six months, could be longer. It depends on some things I have to do and how long they take me. I will do what I can to make this as short as possible."

"Okay."

AN: Alright I am working on the next few pieces and I am hoping to have one more update this week, even if it is a little shorter.


	15. Chapter 15

Jack groans and drops his head to his desk with a thump. Three months as General and he is already overwhelmed, how in the world had George done this for over three years without going postal?

"Sir, I have a call from Major Carter for you on line one," Walter says from the doorway.

"Thanks Walter," Jack mutters, his voice muffled by the stack of folders under his face.

Without lifting his head he fumbles around for the handset, which he knocks off onto the desk bumping a pile of file off the edge of his desk. He looks up to see loose papers floating around his office and he lets out a whimper as he closes his eyes and puts the phone to his ear.

"Carter? Please tell me something good. Anything," he pleads.

"Sorry, I was just calling to let you know I won't be able to make it back for another week or so."

"We haven't seen you in over a month and what about Thanksgiving? Teddy was looking forward to seeing you."

"Only Teddy?"

"Well no, Walter has missed you a lot and I know all the eggheads are looking forward to your next visit."

"Sorry, I promise I'll come for a visit as soon as I can."

"Maybe Teddy and I ca n come down to see you next week."

"I'd like that. Well I gotta get back but I'll call you later tonight."

"Alright," Jack hangs up the phone and looks around his office.

"Walter? Can…"

"I'll be in to clean up the papers in a minutes Sir," Walter's voice comes over the intercom.

"Thanks."

"Remember to press the button before talk Sir."

Jack lets out an exasperated sigh as he flips open the file in front of him. He reads the first few lines then stops and rubs his eyes and starts over. When there is a knock on the door he gives up trying to read the file a fourth time and flips it closed.

"Enter," he says hoping there is a problem to drag him away from the paperwork.

Janet opens the door and enters the room.

"Cassie and I were wondering what you and Teddy are doing for Thanksgiving this year Sir."

"Well, we kind of had plans but that changed so we aren't doing anything special. Why do you ask?"

"We are having Daniel and Teal'c over and would love if you two could join us as well."

"Sure, I think Teddy would love that."

"And I'm sure you could use a break from the paperwork as well."

"Yes, I could. How did you know?"

"The fact that it looks like a file cabinet exploded in here may have given me a clue Sir," Janet says with a smile.

"I'll get the hang of this at some point."

"This is a little above my paygrade but you would probably have less to do if you had a second in command that could give you a hand with all this," she says, waving her hand at the room.

"Well part of this mess is personal files for just that. I think I may have Walter go over some of it and thin the pile out a bit."

Janet laughs, "That might be a good idea. Well I'll be headed out in about an hour. You and Teddy can come over whatever time you want tomorrow after noon."

"Sounds good Doc. Thanks for the invite."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sam holds the phone waiting for Janet to answer.

"This is Fraiser."

"Hi Janet."

"Hi, how are things going?"

"Good on my end. How about for you?"

"Everything is set. We'll see you soon?"

"You bet. And thanks for this."

"Any time Sam."

Sam hangs up the phone and takes a breath. Now if she can keep calm foe another 24 hours everything will be perfect.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack buckles Teddy into his car seat.

"You ready for turkey day buddy?"

"Yeah!"

"Me too and next week we'll go see Sam."

"Why is she not coming home now?"

"Because she is working very hard to fix problems that other people aren't smart enough to fix."

"But she still loves us right?"

Jack smiles at his son, "Yes bud, she still loves us."

Jack climbs into the driver seat and looks in the rearview mirror at his son as he starts the truck. The drive to the Fraiser house is a quick one but by the time they pull up in front of the house Teddy is bouncing in the backseat.

"Turkey day! Turkey day!" he chants loudly as Jack unbuckles him and set him on the ground before grabbing the bottle of wine he brought for Janet. When he turns around Teddy is up the sidewalk and knocking on the front door as hard as his tiny hands can. Jack smiles.

"Don't knock the door down bud."

Cassie opens the door and smiles, "Hi guys. Happy Thanksgiving."

"Turkey day!" Teddy shouts as he runs into the house.

Jack chuckles as he approaches the open door, "Happy Thanksgiving Cass. Sorry about that, I may have taught him a very bad thing."

"It's fine. At least we know that he'll enjoy part of his dinner."

"True. So where's your mom?"

"In the kitchen."

"I'll drop this off with her," he says, showing her the bottle.

"Okay," she says as she turns and heads up stairs.

Jack shakes his head as he heads into the kitchen. As he walks thru the door he sees Janet at the stove.

""Hey Doc," he says when she turns around.

"General, so glad you could make it today."

"I'm going to try to enjoy it while it lasts. I brought this for you," he says, holding the wine out to her.

"Oh, thank you Sir. Daniel and Teal'c are watching the game in the living room if you want to join them. You can just set this in the dining room on your way there."

"You sure you don't need some help?" Jack asks looking around the cluttered kitchen.

"I'm sure. It's not as bad as it looks, but thank you for the offer."

Jack watches as she turns back to the stove and returns to stirring. After a moment he decides to leave her in peace and heads into the dining room. He looks down at the bottle in his hand as he stops at the table. He looks at the label and smiles as an image of Sam cuddled in a blanket drink a glass of this wine at the cabin drifts into his mind. Damn, he misses her. He takes a breath and sets the bottle on the table then turns and freezes. Sam is standing in the doorway watching him with a smile. He blinks a few times to make sure he isn't dreaming and when he hears her chuckle his heart stops.

"Surprise," she says, stepping closer to him.

"I thought you had work?"

"I lied."

"I don't even care why you did but I am so glad to see you," he says as he pulls her close and kisses her.

After a long embrace she pulls back slightly and looks him in the eyes.

"I have another surprise for you but you may want to sit down," she says softly.

The tone of her voice makes Jack's knees go weak. He backs up and sits in a chair as his legs give out under the weight of his body. Sam takes a breath and kneels in front of him pulling a small object out of her pocket and holding it out to him.

"I have known for a while that this is how we should spend our lives but instead of waiting for you I decided to take matters into my own hands."

Jack looks at her hands and sees a ring before looking back at her face.

"I love you Jack O'Neill and I would be honored if you would be my husband."

AN: Alright as promised the next chapter. Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving.


	16. Chapter 16

"I can't believe you lied to me," Jack says finally.

"I'm sorry but I did have a very good reason. I needed you to be surprised."

"Well I am very surprised. Now, what do we tell Teddy?"

"He already knows."

"He does?"

"I saw him when you guys got here. I asked if he would like me to be his new mom and he said he thought I already was."

Jack laughs, "Okay, so where is he now?"

"In the living room with Daniel and Teal'c."

Jack kisses Sam again then stands and offers her his hand to help her up off the floor.

"Did you do something different with your hair?" he asks as the head to the living room.

"I figured since I'm just doing lab work for now I could grow it out a bit and maybe by the time I can transfer back it'll be long enough to just put up when I'm on duty."

"I like it."

Sam smiles and leans into Jack as they walk, "I thought you might."

As they walk into the living room everyone turns to face them and Daniel shifts Teddy on his lap.

"Well what did he say?" he asks.

"Well of course he said yes," Janet answers then looks at Jack. "You did say yes right?"

"After I got over the shock of being proposed to, I said yes."

Teddy jumps off of Daniels lap and runs over to them and looks up at Sam.

"So are you my mommy now?" he asks excitedly.

"Not quite yet but I will be soon."

"But can I call you mommy now?"

Sam smiles warmly at him, "If you would like to then yes, I would like that very much."

A smile lights up Teddy's face as he turns to face everyone, "I have a mommy again!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack lays teddy carefully in his bed and pulls a blanket up to cover him then he moves out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him. He flexes his left hand as he walks into the living room where Sam sit sitting on the couch waiting for him with a beer in each hand.

"Now that he's asleep we can talk," she says as he joins her and takes the beer she offers.

"I'd like to ask you a question. What made you decided to do…this?" Jack asks, holding his hand up.

"I know dating long distance is hard but I also know that I will never feel like this about anyone else. And my dad told me when things aren't moving forward, they move backwards and I don't want to lose what we have."

"Ah, I should've known you told him about all this after the look he gave me before he left last time."

"He didn't talk to you?"

"Nope, should he have?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm just not really used to telling him I am making a choice and having him agree without trying to change my mind about it."

"Well, Selmak has made him more agreeable; from what I can tell," he pauses to sip his beer. "So, now what?" he asks after a moment.

"To be honest, I have no idea where we go from here. Dating, or even being engaged, long distance is one thing but I think things need to change before we can get married because distance tears marriages apart."

"May I make a suggestion?"

"Of course."

"Now that we know we are not going to lose each other I think we should take the next few months slowly. I am working on a way to bring you back to the SGC but I need a little more time."

"I have another few months before I'll be finished with my current project, so that works for me."

"Okay, how about this. I know every woman starts planning their wedding from the moment they get engaged and if I know you, you've been planning to make plans for a while now."

Sam gives him a shy smile, "Guilty."

"Then pick a date."

"What? Right now?"

"Yes."

"Alright, how about May?"

"How about the 2nd of May?"

"Why the second?"

"The number five represents marriage and two is the number of partnership," he pauses as a smile appears on Sam's face. "What?"

"I didn't realize that you knew so much about numbers."

"I know a great many things," he replies with a mischievous grin.

Sam laughs softly at him as a peaceful hush settles between them. Jack shifts his beer to one hand and wraps the other around Sam's shoulders, gently pulling her close to him. She snuggles into his side as he grabs the remote and turns on the TV. When the show goes on a commercial break Jack takes a breath.

"I promise, you will be able to come back before we get married. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure of it."

"I know you will. So will we live here?"

"I kinda figured we would, unless you want to find a new place that can be ours."

"I like your house and we don't need more space than this."

"Are you sure? I don't mind finding some where we can make our own memories."

"We have memories here. Besides, the location is good and the neighborhood is perfect for kids."

Jack coughs slightly as the few drops of beer sliding down his throat suddenly feel like he's swallowing sand. Once the burning stops he looks at Sam.

"Is there something you need to tell me?" he asks.

She looks at him, slightly confused, "I was talking about Teddy."

"Oh, right. I keep forgetting I have a son again."

She smiles, "Still? He's been with you for a few months now."

"I know. But to be perfectly honest, when you are here my brain goes on complete shutdown."

"Oh really? Why is that?" she asks, shifting to face him, the movement causes a pucker in her shirt that gives him the perfect view of her milky white cleavage.

He feels a familiar throb as the blood rushes from his head to growing arousal. He takes a deep breath and turns back to the TV as he attempts to regain control of his body before speaking.

"Because you are far more than just distracting. You make it hard to focus on anything by just simply entering a room. To be honest, I have been lost to you from the moment I laid eyes on you."

He watches her cheeks redden as she lowers her gaze from his face. After a beat she looks up again, her desire evident in her eyes.

"Is Teddy asleep?" she asks, her voice low.

"Yep."

She stands and takes his hand, gently pulling until he is standing beside her, then she leads him down the hall to their room. By the time they reach the door his body is buzzing with anticipation. He follows her into the room then stops and pulls her back to him and kisses her deeply, his hands wandering down her body and caressing her thru her clothes. After a moment she breaks the kiss and locks eyes with him.

"I've missed you," she says.

"Come 'ere," he says, wrapping his arms around her. He takes a deep breath as he thinks about the months ahead without her and that moment when she comes home to him for good. As he moves to the bed with her the thought of her becoming his wife arouses him. He lays her back on the bed and lowers himself down beside her as he nuzzles in her neck. A soft moan escapes her lips as he moves them farther onto the bed. He pauses and looks at her.

"I can't do this."

She looks at him puzzled as he gets off the bed and turns his back to her.

"What do you mean?"

He slowly turns to face her, "I have to be honest with you. I was upset when you said you were canceling your plans to come home because I was afraid that I wouldn't get a chance to do this…"

He drops to one knee in front of her and pulls a small velvet box from under the edge of the bed. Slowly he opens it, revealing a simple rose gold band with a heart shaped diamond.

"You may have beat me in timing but I can promise I have been planning this a little longer than you so I am just going to ask. Samantha Carter, would you do me the biggest honor of my lifetime and marry me?"

AN: I wanted to share this chapter before I head off on a long weekend away with my hubby. Hope you like it and I'll work on the next bit when I get back.


	17. Chapter 17

S am sits in her office looking at the ring on her finger and thinking about how fast things changed. This time last week she was dating Jack and now she is not only engaged to him but a date has been set. She takes a breath and tries to focus on the screen in front of her. As she reads over the same information for the third time she hears someone clear their throat behind her. She turns to see a young man standing her door.

"You're Major Carter?" he asks, sounding almost surprised and disgusted at the same time.

Sam stands and turns to face him, "I am, and you are?"

He smirks, "Dr. Rodney McKay. To be honest some of the mistakes I've already found make sense now."

"Mistakes?"

"Ya, don't worry about it though. I have been able to correct them before anything catastrophic happened. And at least now I know that you were simple distracted, not completely incompetent," he says, nodding toward her ring.

Sam feels her face flush in anger, "Most people would simply say congratulations."

"I don't feel that one should be rewarded with kind words after making a miscalculation."

Sam takes a slow breath to calm herself, "Would you excuse me?"

She leaves the room and heads straight for her CO's office. She knocks on the open door then enters when General West waves her in.

"What can I do for you Major?"

"I just met someone in my office…"

"You must be talking about our newest addition, Dr. McKay?"

"Yes sir."

"And you have a question?"

"Why is he here sir?"

"Because I have been made aware that you will most likely be leaving us in the next few months and I need someone to take over when you leave that won't get overwhelmed by the demands that are placed on us by the JCS."

"I was planning on telling you that I would be leaving…" she leaves the sentence unfinished.

"Don't worry about it Major. General O'Neill called me a few days before you left for the long weekend and told me you'd be getting transferred back there soon. I can't say I'm surprised. I know how well you were doing in field work before transferring here. Frankly I was more surprised when I found out you were coming here at all. Now about Dr. McKay…"

"Did I hear my name?" Rodney says as he enters the room.

Sam fights the urge to roll her eyes as he smiles as if he is pleased with himself.

West looks at him, "Yes, I was just telling Major Carter that you will be taking all new projects over from now on allowing her to finish the last few she is working on before she leaves us."

"Are you sure you don't want me to lend her a hand? I mean her time here is coming to an end quite quickly."

Sam opens her mouth but West holds up his hand to her then looks back at Rodney, "I'm quite sure she will be perfectly fine on her own doctor. She is, after all, our fore-most expert in all things related to the Stargate program."

Rodney's face scrunches and he starts talking but West cuts off, "I am sure you are anxious to get to work doctor so we won't keep you any longer. I'll be sure let you know if there is some other way you can be help. Now if you'll excuse us, I need to speak to Major Carter alone."

Sam smiles slightly as Rodney grunts and leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

"Thank you Sir."

"Don't mention it Major. Now I would like to hear where you are with your current project," he says, taking his seat again.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"When is mommy coming home?" Teddy asks Jack as they sit at the table.

Jack looks at his son, "She is going to come back for Christmas."

"But will she leave again?"

"Yeah, but only for a little while longer then she'll come home for good."

"Oh good. I miss her," Teddy says as he digs his spoon into his bowl, scattering fruit loops all over the able. He looks at Jack, "Oops, sorry."

Jack chuckles, "It's alright bud. Listen, I have to go to work for a little bit today so Cassie is going to come stay with you while I'm gone. Be good for her okay?"

"Okay daddy."

Jack finishes his breakfast and once Janet drops Cassie off he heads to the base. As he moves through the base he starts thinking about how things are about to change. As he turns the corner into his office he hears Walter behind him.

"Good morning General. You have no messages this morning but there is a General Landry waiting for you in the briefing room."

"Good, I'm gonna meet with him but then I'll be unavailable the rest of the day. I promised Teddy we'd go the zoo in Denver today."

"I'm sure he'll enjoy that Sir. I'll be sure to keep your messages for you until Monday."

Jack lays his hand on the smaller man's shoulder, "Thanks Sergeant."

He stops in his office, dropping his keys on the desk before heading into the briefing room. He finds Landry staring down at the gate room where a team is just returning from their mission.

"Pretty impressive huh?" Jack says, joining him at the glass.

"Yes it is. It makes one wonder why you would be willing to step down and give up such a post."

"I have my reasons."

Hank turns to face him, "They wouldn't have something to do with a certain young Major that was just recommended for a promotion, now would they?"

Jack smiles, "I can neither confirm nor deny those allegations."

"Don't' get me wrong I'm not one to judge, and I am looking forward to finding out what all the fuss is about this place. I just have one question for you Jack."

"And what would that be?"

"I get to come to the wedding right?"

AN: I know this one is a bit short but I wanted to get it finished so you don't think I forgot your guys. I'm working on the next part and if RL will let me I should have it ready for you next week. Hope you all have a nice weekend.


	18. Chapter 18

Jack looks at his watch and smiles as he realizes Sam should be walking thru the door any moment. He looks up when he hears someone clearing their throat to meet the faces of two scientists standing beside a scribbled on whiteboard.

"Sorry, please continue," he says after a moment.

"Yes, well, as I was saying..." one of them starts when Jack hears the faint sound of the elevator down the hall open and stands to his feet cutting the now slightly disgruntled man off.

"Well, that's all very fascinating. Make sure to put it all in the report so Major Carter gets every detail," he says as he turns to the door, only to freeze in place.

Instead of his young blonde female Major in the doorway he sees an equally young dark haired man.

"Judging by the look on your face, our dear General West forgot to mention I'll be taking over any new projects coming from here," he says smugly as he steps toward Jack and stretches out his hand. "Dr. Rodney McKay, and you must be General Jack O'Neill."

Jack take the outstretched hand, "When was this change made?"

"Oh, I've been working at Area 51 for some time now. I was only recently assigned to R&D to replace Major Carter. Apparently she is leaving and they needed someone who could take better care of things in her place."

Jack feels himself bristling as Rodney moves toward the scientists and begins asking about the object on the table.

"Well it looks like Dr. McKay has this covered here so I'll be off," Jack says before turning and heading into his office. He closes the door and sits at his desk. As he opens one of the many files in front of him the faint sounds of the scientist jabbering together drift thru his second office door. He groans, dropping his head into his hands and starts massaging his temples. His mind drifts to the image of Sam sitting with Teddy on their couch reading a book to him.

Damn, he didn't realize how difficult it would be to know that she would soon be his wife yet not getting to see her for weeks at a time. At least Christmas was coming up this week. He and Teddy will be staying with her for a few days in Nevada.

A knock on the partly open door brings his head up and his heart stops as is eyes land on her. She is standing in her dress blues and heels, her hat tucked under one arm, and her face more pale than Jack remembered.

He smiles at her and stands, "It looks like you have been in a lab too long."

She smiles faintly but it fades as she steps into the office, "Can we talk, in private?"

"Sure, close the door," he says as he grabs his phone. "Hold my calls, I'm in a meeting."

As he sets the phone back down he looks back up and watches Sam as she stands in front of his desk.

"So, what's up?" he asks after a moment.

She takes a breath, "I forgot to tell you about McKay."

Jack follows her gaze toward the briefing room.

"Yeah, I was a bit surprised when he showed up."

"I meant to call."

"He said he's taking over the new projects."

"He is."

"I figured that meant you weren't coming."

"I volunteered to escort him on his first trip here."

"That was nice of you."

"I wasn't doing it to be nice. I needed to talk to you face to face."

"We could've waited till Teddy and I get to your place the day after tomorrow."

"I couldn't wait that long."

Jack leans on his desk, "Are you alright?"

"I am fine. And as far as I can tell…" Sam pauses.

Jack slowly lets his gaze drop to her stomach before looking back at her face.

"Are you…" he stops, unable to even finish the thought in his head.

She takes a slow breath, "I am on my way to talk to Janet now. All I know is I wasn't able to get my shot last week and that would've been just over 13 weeks since my last one."

"And what does that mean?" he asks slowly.

"I have to take a pregnancy test before she can administer another shot."

"That doesn't mean you are pregnant though. I mean , I thought you had an IUD?"

"No it doesn't, but the fact that I haven't been able to hold anything down the last few days suggests that it is possible. And Janet suggested using the shot because I was having some issues with the IUD. That's part of the reason I didn't get it when I was supposed to, I forgot when I neededt to get it again."

Jack sinks into his chair and stares blankly ahead. Sam shifts slightly bring his attention back to her.

"We could be having a baby?" he asks finally.

"Yes."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack stands beside Sam as they wait for Janet to return. He sees her looking at a paper as she walks toward them and a knot form in the pit of his stomach as she looks up and locks eyes with him.

"Sir, I think we should move into my office," she says, her voice professional.

Sam stands and together they move through the infirmary towards Janet's office. As they step inside she closes the door behind them then turns to face them.

"I think you already know what I'm about to say," she says, moving around her desk and sitting in her chair.

"Let's say we don't," Jack says.

She smiles at him, "Well then I have to say congratulations, you are going to be parents again."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack and Sam sit in the truck looking at the front door.

"How do you think he'll take the news?" Sam asks.

"I haven't the foggiest," Jack replies as he pulls the keys out of the ignition.

They get out of the truck and walk toward the house. As they walk thru the front door they can hear Cassie and Teddy singing children's songs at the top of their lungs. Jack takes Sam's hand and leads her toward the music and out of tune singers. They stop in the doorway of the living room and watch as Teddy sings with a big smile on his face. After a moment he sees them and lets out a squeal.

"Mommy!" he runs over and throws his arms around Sam's legs.

She takes her hand out of Jack's and gives the boy a hug.

"I didn't know you were coming home today," Teddy says, loosening his grip on her.

"I had to come see you. I have something very important to tell you," She looks at Jack then back to Teddy. "We have something we need to tell you," she reiterates.

Teddy looks from her to Jack then back, "What?"

Jack kneels beside them and places his hand on the small of Sam's back, "You are going to be a big brother."

Teddy looks at Jack, his face covered in a cloud of confusion, "What's a brother?"

Jack looks at Sam. She smiles and looks at Teddy.

"A brother is a very special person that can help mommy and daddy take care of the new baby and make sure he or she is happy. Do you think that you will be able to do that?" she asks.

"I can try. Will the baby like me?" he asks.

"I am sure the baby will love you," Sam responds with a gentle smile.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The next morning they head back to Nevada together and by the time they get to Sam's little apartment Teddy is rubbing his eyes. Jack chuckles as he and Sam watch Teddy curl up on the couch and fall asleep.

"I guess he isn't hungry," he observes, quietly.

"He may not be, but I am starving," Sam says as she moves into the kitchen. "You want something?"

"What do you have?"

Jack watches as Sam looks through the cupboards and the refrigerator.

"It might be better to order something. I went shopping a couple of days ago but I ended up only getting stuff for Christmas dinner and a pint of mint chocolate chip."

Jack smiles, "And I take it that didn't survive the munchies you've been having?"

"Nope, that's actually when I started to realize something was a little off."

"You knew after one pint of ice cream?"

"No, after the fifth pint."

Jack laughs softly, "Okay, so what are you hungry for now?"

"How about some pad thai?"

"Sounds good."

As Sam grabs the phone off the counter Jack moves back into the living room and sits on the couch beside Teddy. In one corner Sam has a small tree with a few decorations and some small packages under it. Jack takes a breath and pulls the black velvet out of his pocket and opens it for a moment. The silver heart inside shines brightly with the three gem stones hanging from the bottom. As Jack looks at it he smiles to himself as he pictures adding a fourth stone to it for Sam's birthday. When he hears her coming he closes the box and places it back in his pocket for now.

"It'll be about twenty minutes," she says handing him a bottled water.

He takes it and smiles, "I almost forgot. Jacob says hi and gave me explicit instructions for your gift."

"Well then I guess we're even then because Abby called me last week and asked me to take care of picking up her gift to you."

"Since when have you and my sister been close enough to call each other?"

"Since she started feeling sorry for me having to date you," she replies with a smile as she leans in and kisses him lightly on the lips.

"Having to date me? I happen to think you are the luckiest woman in the world to have a catch like me."

Sam smiles wider and leans in for another kiss, "Uh-huh, super lucky."

The teasing tone in her voice send his blood rushing south. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath and he hers her chuckle softly near his ear.

"Take it easy general, we don't want to wake the tyke."

"That would be a lot easier if you weren't whispering in my ear."

She shots him a flirty smile before standing up, "I think I'll move him into the room so we don't wake him."

"No you won't. I'll do it. You need to start taking things a bit easier."

Jack stands and scoops Teddy gently off the couch before moving him into the room and laying him on the bed. As he heads back into the living room he hears a knock on the front door so he changes directions and opens it. After paying the delivery boy he carries the bag into the kitchen and places it on the counter. Sam joins him and grabs two forks then looks at him.

"We can eat in the living room for now," she says.

Jack watches as she grabs a container and moves to the couch. He follows her and by the time he sits beside her she is already munching. A comfortable silence fills the space around them broken only by the faint sounds of chewing. After a few moments Jack swallows and looks at Sam.

"So what would you say if I told you I had a crazy thought?"

"I'd say it wouldn't be your first, but let's hear it."

He smiles at her as his heart starts racing.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

He stands in the elevator heading down to his office when the doors open and Daniel joins him.

"Hi, I didn't know you were back," Daniel says, mild surprise in his voice as the doors slide closed and the car begins moving again.

"Oh, Teddy and I got back yesterday. How were things here while I was gone?"

"Well for once everything went pretty smoothly. It's almost like the universe decided to give us all a break from the crazy for a few days."

"That's nice," Jack says, absentmindedly as the doors open again. As he steps out he starts humming to himself as he thinks about the extra time and Teddy spent with Sam and how nice it was to ring in the New Year with her. As he turns the corner into his office he nearly runs Walter over as the small man is coming out.

"Oh, General, I didn't see you there. I'm sorry sir," he says quickly.

Jack smiles at him, "Don't worry about it. Can you get Landry on the phone? I need to talk to him."

"Of course Sir."

Jack sits in his chair and looks around the office. Part of him knows he's going to miss all the action but he reminds himself that with the things happening in his personal life right now he will be anything but board for a very long time. His phone rings once and he grabs it.

"Hank?"

"Heard you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, I need to know your answer."

"You already know it Jack."

"Good. We are going to move up the time line."

"How much?

"How does next week sound?" Jack asks as he leans back in his chair.

AN: Okay, now that the holidays are finally over I am going to try to get back on schedule. I decided to make this chapter a little longer than usual to make up for the break I took over Christmas and New Years. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.


	19. Chapter 19

You could've heard a pin drop. Daniel and Teal'c are standing in front of him completely speechless. Jack smiles at the fact that he was able to surprise them both. Out of the corner of his eye Sam is standing beside him in her dress blues, a small smile present on her face.

"So do guys have any questions?" Jack asks.

Teal'c looks at Sam then back to Jack, "I have no queries. I would, however, like to give my felicitations you both you and Major Carter."

Daniel clears his throat, "I would like to second Teal'c but I do have a few questions. First of all, I can't believe you haven't said a word about this til now."

"That wasn't a question," Jack points out.

"You're married?" Daniel asks.

"Yes."

"To Sam?"

"Yep."

"And you're having a baby?"

"Technically she is," Jack says, indicating slightly with a nod of his head.

"So what happens now? I mean she is still assigned to Area 51, right?"

"Well, in order for me to answer that question we need to join the team leaders in the briefing room for the second half of my announcements. I just wanted you to know this before I do what I'm about to," Jack says as he stands and looks at Sam with a smile.

She nods slightly then follows him into the briefing room.

Jack clears his throat to quiet the room before taking his seat.

"Thank you all for coming, I know you all have a lot you need to be doing so I'll keep this as brief as possible. Firstly, I have made the decision to retire, again. This week is my last week in command of this base. Major General Landry will be taking over. He was hoping to be here today but he wasn't able to make it. Secondly, you will not be without an O'Neill on base. Following the birth of our child Lt. Colonel Samantha O'Neill will be returning to the SGC."

Before he can go on the room explodes in sound with everyone talking at once. Finally one voice raises above the other dozen and brings the noise to a stop. Jack looks at the far end of the table to see Colonel Makepeace standing, looking at him.

"Well, of all the ways I thought the year would start this was not one. I think I can safely say that I speak for every staff member on this base when I say that you will be greatly missed, Sir. And I for one would like to congratulate you both on your upcoming marriage and the birth of your child," he says, looking between Jack and Sam.

"Thank you Colonel. That is actually the third thing I wanted to fill you in on. The reason for my rapid departure is because Major Carter and I were married last week and she is transferring back here at the end of the month as per her doctor's orders," Jack looks at Sam. "Do you have anything you'd like to add?"

"No, I think you've covered it pretty well," she replies.

As she finishes speaking an alarm begins going off and the familiar sound of Walters voice comes over the intercom, 'Unscheduled off-world activation.'

Jack stands, "Alright, family time is over. Back to work people."

He and Sam make their way to the control room followed by Daniel and Teal'c.

"What have we got Sergeant?" he asks as they join Walter by the computer.

"I'm not sure. There is still no incoming signal," Walter responds.

"That's probably because all team are earth side," Jack says, looking up from the computer to the gate.

The iris begins flexing slightly.

"Uh, is it just me or did that look a little…" Daniel says, adjusting his glasses.

"Like the iris is losing integrity," Sam finishes his sentence.

Suddenly it distorts near the ramp and a fat yellow cat emerges.

"Hold your fire," Jack calls as Sam rushes into the gate room toward the feline. She scoops him up and looks up at the control room.

"It's Schrödinger, the cat I gave to the Tollen Narim," She says, stroking the cat's fur.

"The Tollen did possess the technology to walk thru solid matter," Teal'c points out.

"A technology they refused to share," Daniel adds.

Jack opens his mouth when the iris start to fluctuate again as a second shape begins emerging. The fluctuations stop as Narim steps thru and onto the ramp in front of Sam.

He locks eyes with her and gives her a small smile, "I am unfamiliar with your protocol so I sent Schrödinger so you would know a friend was coming."

Jack watches Narim look at Sam and becomes instantly jealous.

"It's alright Narim, the Tollen are always welcome here. Stand down everyone," he says before heading down to the gate room.

"So what can we do for you?" he asks, as Daniel and Teal'c moves to stand beside him.

Narim looks at Sam for a moment then steps toward Jack with a small object in his hands.

"I have been sent to deliver a message from my government. You and your team have been requested to take part in a Triad by the Curia," he says bowing his head and handing the object to Jack.

Jack looks around at his friends and takes the small silver device, "Why do I feel like I'm being served?"

Daniel moves close to look at the device, "Probably because you are."

"Thank you Daniel," Jack says, sarcastically before looking back at Narim. "We can discuss this more in the briefing room."

"Of course. Will General Hammond be joining us there?"

"There have been a lot of changes since you were here last," Sam says as the group moves out of the gate room.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack sits in his chair at the head of the table, listening to Narim explain the triad.

"So, basically it's like a trial," he says.

"I am not sure I know what trial is," Narim replies.

"It's a formal examination in front of a tribunal of sorts to settle disputes and ensure justice for our people," Daniel explains.

"Then yes, our triad is like your trial."

"So who's on trial?" Jack asks.

"The triad has been requested to decide the fate of an old friend of yours. An Abydonian boy named Skaara."

"What?" Jack and Daniel says together, both leaning forward on the table.

"It was he that requested your presence at the triad."

"He's alive? Is he alright?" Daniel asks.

"He is in good health. He does need your assistance in this matter however."

"We'll help in any way we can," Daniel says, then looks at Jack. "Right?"

"Yeah, of course. So where is this triad taking place?" Jack asks Narim.

"On Tollana, our new home world."

Sam looks at him in confusion, "I thought Tollana didn't have a gate."

"The Nox and the Tollan together were able to excogitate a way for to get us there."

"Naturally," Jack says. "Well, I see no reason to miss out on the fun, I think I'll join Daniel and Teal'c. If you don't mind."

"You are most welcome General. Will you join us as well Samantha?" Narim asks.

Sam looks at Jack.

"As long as Doc says it's safe, I don't see why not," Jack says.

Narim looks between them, "Why would a doctor need to allow it? Are you ill?"

Sam smiles uncomfortably, "That's another thing that's changed."

AN: I have had a few people that were confused slightly by the time line so I hope this bit and the next one can clear it up a bit. I love hearing from you guys and I want to thank all of the guests that have left reviews. I hope you enjoyed this bit. The next one is in the works and I'm hoping to have it done next week. Have a great weekend everyone!


	20. Chapter 20

Jack steps thru the gate with SG1. As he looks around he realizes how much he has missed this and how this is, in all likelihood, his last trip ever thru the Stargate and a feeling of sadness starts to set in. He shakes himself and looks at the gate.

Daniel joins him, "They are way smarter than us."

"Yeah, but ours is bigger," Jack replies.

As they follow Narim Sam falls in step beside Jack.

"You're going to miss this," she says, quietly so only he hears her.

"I'm sure, but it's for the best."

"I know. But I also know this hasn't been an easy decision for you."

He looks at her, "Easier than the alternative."

Sam smiles as they walk down a hallway. Suddenly a bright light appears and sweeps over them then disappears. Jack stops walking.

"What was that?" he asks Narim.

"Your weapons have been disabled. You may continue to carry them if you choose."

"You disabled our weapons? You didn't think to tell us this would happen before we came here?"

"It didn't occur to me that it would be an issue as you are perfectly safe here. The Tollan guarantee it."

Jacks mind starts buzzing as he thinks about this wife standing next to him, carrying their child and having no way to protect her. "Would that be a "money-back-if-you-don't-survive" kind of guarantee?"

"The Tollan have never been a threat to you," Narim says.

Jack blows a breath out, trying to calm himself when he hears Teal'c's voice.

"That is true. I feel no need to have a weapon in this place."

Sam locks eyes with Jack, "If this technology is any indication of the Tollan are truly capable of our weapons wouldn't do us much good anyways."

"I apologize if this is upsetting to you."

"We were just surprised," Daniel says.

"Then if you'll follow me we'll continue on."

As they resume walking Jack finds himself wishing this was over already so they could get back to earth, where he could at least defend himself and his family if necessary.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack sits at his desk and lays his head back, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Just as he starts to relax there is a knock on the door. He lets out a groan and sits up.

"Come."

The door open and Landry walks in.

"Did you enjoy your last time through the gate?"

"I can't say there won't be things that I'll miss, but after the last few days I have a new appreciation for the regulations."

Hank chuckles, "That bad?"

"Just promise me one thing…"

"I'll do my best to keep her out of trouble, but you know as well as I do that she has a mind of her own."

Jack smiles, "True. So, what are you going to do about SG1 until she is back on active duty?"

"I've got a call in to DC about another Major that could also qualify for early promotion but for the time being I think I will place Jackson and Teal'c with SG2. From what I've read they should get along well enough with Ferretti until Lt. Colonel O'Neill makes her return to active duty."

"That's not official yet."

"Which part?"

"Paperwork has been filed for both parts."

"Which reminds me, I don't think I've told you congratulations yet."

Jack smiles mischievously, "For which part?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sam sits on the edge of the bed as Janet looks over the chart in her hands, her brow furrowed as she looks over the chart again.

"Is something wrong?" Sam asks, her hand instinctively moving to her barely-there baby bump.

"Not wrong, necessarily, but I think we should go get an ultra-sound just to be on the safe side. Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?" Janet asks, looking up from the chart.

"No, not today. I was supposed to fly back to Nevada yesterday but the impromptu trip changed those plans. I was thinking about heading back tomorrow."

"I will call General West and let him know that'll you'll be an extra day or two while I wait to get the results of your blood test back."

"Janet, you are starting to worry me."

Janet lets out a breath, "As far as I can tell you and the baby are fine but we have no idea how a trip thru the gate can effect such a young life. I just want to make sure everything is still normal."

"When do you want to have the ultra-sound done?"

"I have a friend at the hospital that I can call and we should be able to head there now."

"Okay, I need to talk to General O'Neill," Sam says, standing up slowly.

"I'll come find you," Janet says, giving her friend a reassuring smile.

Sam moves thru the halls numb, everything blurred around her as she thinks about her unborn child. As she reaches Jack's office she raises her hand to knock when the door is opened and Landry smiles.

"Major," he steps aside and lets her in before leaving, closing the door as he goes.

Sam looks at Jack. He smiles at her but it fades when he sees her face.

"What's wrong?" he asks, standing up.

"Janet is taking me to have an ultra-sound. She wants to check on the baby after the trip," she says, her voice hardly sounding like her own.

Jack moves around the desk and pulls her into a hug, "Come here."

After a moment he relaxes and loosens his grip on her before placing his and under her chin, tipping her face up and kissing her deeply. When he pulls away he locks eyes with her.

"I'm going with you."

She takes a breath and realizes for the first time she is shaking, "Okay."

He pulls her back into a hug, "I'm sure everything is fine."

The steadiness of his voice calms her as he talks to her, his voice low and soft. They stand for what seems like an eternity when there is a knock on the door.

"Come."

The door opens and Janet walks in, "They have time for us to go now."

"I'm coming with," Jack says, wrapping his arm around Sam's waist and tucking her close to him.

Time seems to freeze and fly and the same time. Sam blinks slowly and when she opens her eyes she is laying on a table with Jack sitting beside her, holding her hand as the technician squirts cold blue gel on her exposed belly.

"Okay Major, if you'll just relax a little bit we'll take a peek at your little one."

Sam takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. She feels Jack squeeze her hand then she feels the pressure from the probe on her stomach as a gentle whooshing sound fills the room. She opens her eyes when a tiny rhythmic thumping joins in. She looks at the screen.

"Alright Major, I have two things to tell you. Don't worry both are good things," the nurse says with a smile.

"Is that my baby?" Sam asks, unable to tear her eyes from the small monitor.

"Yes, and they both look like they are developing quite nicely."

"What do you mean both?" Jack asks.

"That's the second thing. You are having twins, congratulations."

AN: I am working on the next few parts and I will get them done as quickly as I can.


	21. Chapter 21

Sam sits in the truck beside Jack as they try to process the news they were just given. Janet disappears into the building that houses the elevator.

"We're having twins," she mumbles.

Jack looks at her, "I'll call West in the morning and tell him you won't be going back to Nevada."

"What? Why not?"

"You really shouldn't travel much in this condition…"

"In this condition? I'm pregnant not dying. Besides the babies are fine."

"Yeah, the babies. As in two, meaning you are now eating and resting for three people. You might not feel it yet but that is going to start taking a toll. Sam, please believe me when I tell you I am only doing this because I care about your safety and health, and that of our children."

"Doing what exactly?"

"I am going to fill out the paperwork to have you start maternity leave ASAP."

"I'm only 15 weeks along…"

"And with twins that could be closer to halfway than you realize."

"How would you know anything about twins?"

Jack takes a breath and looks out the front window, "When Sara was pregnant with Charlie he was bigger than normal and in the beginning we thought it could be twins so I read everything I could find about having twins. We had decided to do things as old-fashioned as possible so we didn't know until he was born for sure."

Sam sits quietly and watches Jack's expressions change as he drifts to the past.

 _"_ _Alright, we're almost there. On the next contraction I want you to push as hard as you can," the doctor says before getting in position to catch the baby._

 _Jack looks at Sara, sweat trailing down the side of her face. The labor had been fairly quick up to this point, but now was the hardest part. She looks up at him and gives him a small smile._

 _"_ _I love you Jack."_

 _He squeezes her hand slightly, unable to speak for fear of breaking down. He can feel the tears threatening as Sara's face starts scrunching in preparation for another contraction. He tries to remember how to breathe, Sara needs to breathe. Wasn't he supposed to help her with that? He can't remember. His heart stops as he hears the doctor's voice._

 _"_ _Okay, push now."_

 _Time slows as he watches her focus and push, her face turning a faint shade of red. Then a tiny cry breaks thru all the other noises. He leans forward and watches in amazement as the tiny baby is fully delivered. The doctor quickly wipes his face and then moves to lay him on Sara's chest._

 _"_ _Congratulations, you have a beautiful baby boy," the doctor's voice barely registers in Jacks ears as he looks down at his wife and their son. She holds the baby and looks up at Jack._

 _"_ _Isn't he perfect?" she asks softly._

 _"_ _Yes he is."_

Jack shakes himself slightly as he come back to the present. He looks at Sam.

"That pregnancy was really hard on her and she was only carrying one. I just want to make everything as easy on you as I can," he says.

Sam gives him a small nod, "Alright, let's talk to Janet before we decide anything. If she agrees with you then we'll do this your way."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack scoops his sleeping son off the couch, cradling him gently in his arms as he moves down the hall to Teddy's room. Once the sleeping boy is in his bed Jack leaves the room closing the door behind him before heading back to the living room. Sam had fallen asleep on the couch with Teddy while Air Bud played quietly on the TV. Jack switches it off and looks down at his sleeping wife, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth. His eyes drift to her still flat stomach and the smile fades as he thinks about adding two more people into this house. There is no way they will all fit comfortably. Maybe it's time to find something new, something a little bigger. Or maybe it would be better to add a new master bedroom onto this place and give the current one to the babies. So many things to think about and not much time to decide.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Sam's voice breaks through his thoughts.

"This house. It's not really big enough to add two babies and still be functional."

"That thought had occurred to me."

"And have you had an ideas for a solution?" Jack asks as he sits down on the couch beside her.

"Trying to add onto this house could take more time than we theoretically have. That being said I have the name of the relator that helped me put my little house on the market and honestly she would probably be able to find us something relatively quickly. If you want I can call her tomorrow and let her know we are looking."

Jack looks around the living room.

"Or we can look into getting a contractor to do an add on and just make it clear that they would have less than 3 months to build it, giving us a few weeks to set up the nursery before the babies come."

"No, I think it's time to find a house of our own. I will miss this place but it has more of a bachelor feel to it. Let's find a nice house to start building our family in."

Sam smiles at him, "We've already started our family."

He smiles back at her as he lays his hand on her stomach, "True, but I still think it's best for us to find a house that can be ours."

"And just think, you are retired as of Monday and I'll be on medical leave until the babies are born so we'll be able to get a move done fairly quickly if we can find the right place."

"I am glad Doc agreed with me."

"I thought we were doing things a certain way so I wouldn't have to give up my job."

"Well it's not like we planned on this right now either," Jack says gently.

"I know. Sorry, I don't really know what has come over me that last few days."

Jack laughs softly, "You are growing two little people inside you. I don't expect that you are going to be yourself all the time for a little while."

"What if something happens to them?" she asks suddenly, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Jack pulls her into a hug, "They'll be fine and so will you. You just have to listen to me and let me help."

They sit in silence as the lights from the TV fill the room around them. After a few minutes Sam shifts and moves to stand.

"I think I should try to get some sleep," she says.

"I'll join you in a bit."

Jack watches Sam as she leaves the room. Once he hears the bedroom door closing he grabs his phone. He dials a familiar number and listens for the answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey sis, sorry I'm calling so late," he says, wincing at the sound of Abby yawning on the other end of the line.

"Don't be silly. I just went to be a touch early tonight. So what's up?"

"Well, I just wanted to call and see how you are?"

"Alright Jack, what's going on? You never just call out of the blue for no reason."

Jack takes a breath, "Sam and I got married just after Christmas."

A sharp squeal makes Jack jerk the phone away from his ear.

"You have to tell me everything," she says, excitedly.

"Well if you'll let me finish."

"Oh sorry, it's just so wonderful. But please continue."

"Also expecting twins…"

A second ear piercing sound rings in his ears.

"…early to mid-June."

"Aww Jack congratulations. I'm so happy for you guys. You have to bring Sam to visit again soon so I can throw you guys a baby shower. Do you know boys or girls? Oh my god, is it one of each? Have you picked names yet? What about color in the nursery? Are you going neutral or are…"

"Abby, calm down," Jack says, cutting her off mid-rushed-sentence. "I was calling to see if you would have enough time off to come here to help with Teddy around the middle of May until the babies are born?"

"Oh of course I can, I won't be working here anymore by then. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Frank asked me to marry him and I said yes."

"Good for you. He must be doin' pretty well at work."

"He is doing well. He was actually offered a teaching position in the history department at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. I think he is going to take it, so we would be moving there this summer anyways."

"Does Dave know?"

"No, Ellie does and she said she'll tell him when Frank makes a decision. So, how are you going to break all your news to him?"

"That's the other reason I am calling. I want to bring Sam and Teddy up to the cabin and I was thinking about stopping by the house to see you guys for a day or two. Would that be a problem?"

"No problem at all."

AN: First off I would like to again thank all the guests that have been leaving reviews, I know I can't reply to them individually but I appreciate them all the same.  
Secondly, some of you may or may not have noticed a small inconsistancy in some of the details in a couple of chapters. I have fixed and updated the chapters effected.  
The next bit is in the works and I am hoping to have it done by next week. I hope you all have a great weekend.


	22. Chapter 22

Jack opens the door and helps Sam out. She smiles and shakes her head as he moves to the back door to let Teddy out and get their bags.

Jack had insisted that it would be better to drive up to the cabin this time, but after spending nearly two days getting from Colorado to Minnesota he was starting to rethink that decision. Sam had done her best to keep the stops for her to a minimum but then there was Teddy, who had never been on a trip quite like this before. He had been surprisingly good, playing with his bear and a small plastic dinosaur or singing songs to himself most of the time in the car and sleeping the rest. They had stopped to see a few things on the way up. Or at least that's what Jack had claimed but after the third stop Sam figured out that he was stopping so she and Teddy could get out of the car and stretch a bit before continuing on.

As she follows Jack and Teddy up the sidewalk to the house she smiles. Who would've thought she'd ever find herself in this position? Married with a step-son and two more children on the way. Jack pauses and turns to look at her.

"You okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, just ready to eat something."

He smiles as they continue up the walkway. He knocks on the door and after a moment it opens to reveal Abby.

She Gives Jack a quick hug then kneels down and pulls a small wrapped box out of her pocket and hands it to Teddy, "I got this for you."

Teddy looks at Jack before taking it and tearing it open. As the paper falls to the ground Teddy's face lights up. He holds it up for Jack to see.

"She gave me a truck," he says excitedly.

"And what do you tell her?" Sam asks, gently stroking the small boy's hair.

He looks back to Abby, "Thanks."

A man joins Abby in the doorway and extends his hand to Jack.

"You must be Jack, It's nice to put a face to the name. I'm Frank."

Jack takes his hand and smiles, "Nice to meet ya. This is my wife, Sam, and our son Teddy."

Frank looks at Sam with a warm smile, "Pleased to meet you. And it looks like congratulations are an order."

Sam smiles, "Thank you. And to you as well."

Frank wraps his arm around Abby's waist, "I have to say, I feel like the luckiest man alive. First, this angel agrees to marry me and now I've been offered my dream job. And if I understand right, it'll be close to you guys."

"Yeah, the university is about 20 minutes from where we live," Jack says.

"Well, we will be living in a house the university owns that is just across the street so if you ever need any help with the kids you can just give me a call," Abby says to Jack as the all head into the living room.

"I'll keep that in mind," Jack says with a wink.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack looks down at his watch as a yawn escapes his lips.

"Damn, I didn't realize it was so late," he mumbles.

"What time is it?" Sam asks, her voice heavy with sleep.

"1am, do you want me to help you upstairs?"

"What about Teddy?" Sam asks as a yawn.

Jack looks at his son, who is sound asleep in Abby's lap. Abby pets his hair softly and smiles at Jack.

"I'll take him to the spare room," she says.

As they all begin moving out of the living room Jack places his hand on the small of Sam's back, gently guiding her to the stairs. As they start upward the silence in the house is shattered by the sound of a ringing phone.

"I'll get it," Frank's voice comes softly from the living room.

Jack and Sam continue up the stairs with Abby just behind them carrying Teddy in her arms, distant sounds of Frank on the phone drift out of the living room. As they reach the top of the stairs Jack stops. He can hear Frank speaking and it makes the blood in his veins run cold.

"Calm down Ellie, where are you?...okay I'll tell her…what about the boys?...okay…yes…okay."

Jack looks at Sam briefly before heading down the stairs, "What was that about?"

"Ellie and the boys are headed to the hospital. There was an accident and Dave was rushed into surgery but she didn't know any details only that his partner told her to hurry," Franks says.

"I'll go with Abby," Jack says.

"And I'll stay here with Sam and Teddy."

Jack turns to see his sister standing in the doorway, her keys and purse in hand, "We can take my car; I'll drive."

Sam meets Jack at the front door. He gives her a hug, "You didn't have to come back down. You need to rest."

"I will, I just wanted you to know I love you and we'll be fine. Let me know as soon as you know something."

"You'll be my first call."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Jack looks out the window into the dark night as Abby drives in silence. They reach the hospital in record time. Abby parks near the main entrance and as she shifts the car into park Jack opens the door and exits the vehicle, moving with purpose toward the entrance. By the time he reaches the front desk Abby is by his side.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where I can find David O'Neill? He is a police officer that was brought in a while ago," Abby says.

The nurse behind the desk begins typing on her computer then looks up from the screen, "He just came out of surgery but he is in the ICU and he won't be allowed visitors for another hour or so. Are you family?"

"Yes, we are."

"You would be more than welcome to wait in the family waiting room. You follow this hall to the left then down and around the corner. You can follow the signs from there."

"Thanks," Abby says as she turns and looks at Jack, her face pale. Jack wraps one arm around her shoulder then they start down the long cold hallway. As they walk the sounds of the hospital fill his ears like a quiet hum offset only by the sound of their shoes on the linoleum floors and the heavy thudding of his heart in his head. When they finally get to the waiting room they find Ellie talking to a young man in a blue uniform. As they approach them Ellie looks at Abby in relief.

"Thank you for coming. I sent the boys home with another officer. This is Dave's partner, officer Daniels. Rick, you know Abby, and this is Dave's older brother Jack."

Rick holds out his hand to Jack, "Good to meet ya, I just wish it was under better circumstances."

Jack takes the outstretched hand and give it a firm shake, "Same here. So what happened?"

"We were doing a routine traffic stop but the suspect had a couple of pounds of marijuana that he didn't want us to find so he pulled a gun. Luckily Dave was wearing his vest but the little shit popped off two rounds before speeding off. The doctors said one round went into the vest pretty close to center mass with no damage but the other was a little higher and got lodged in his left shoulder. They had him in the operating room to remove it and I am assuming the fact that he has been moved into recovery means everything went well."

"Did they catch the guy," Abby asks.

"Yeah, I called it in when I heard the gunshots and there was another car a couple blocks away that was able to pursue and catch the suspect. He'll be facing some pretty heavy charges."

"Well, I for one would like to shoot him and see how he likes it," Ellie says, her brow furrowed in frustration.

Jack opens his mouth but closes it again when a nurse enters the room.

"Are you the family of Officer O'Neill?" she asks sweetly. When everyone vocalizes their affirmation she smiles and continues, "The doctor said you can see him now, if you'll just follow me."

AN: Okay, so RL is a real pain but I finally got this bit finished and the next bit started. I hope you all have a great weekend.


	23. Chapter 23

Jack waits with Abby and Rick outside the room as Ellie steps in to see how Dave is doing. After a moment she pokes her head out with a smile.

"He said you could all come say hi," she says.

Abby smiles at Jack and follows Ellie into the room with Rick behind her. As they disappear into the room Jack takes a breath and tries to work up the courage to enter the room. He walks thru the door and stand quietly in the shadows while Ellie and Abby talk softly to Dave. Jack sees his brother turn his head slightly in his direction then back to his wife. Something inaudible to Jack's ears leaves Dave's lips directed at Ellie. She touches his arm and then the two girls leave the room with Rick in tow. Once they are gone Dave shifts his attention to Jack causing a knot to form in his stomach.

"I'm sure you don't want me here but no matter your opinion of me I am your brother and I do care very much about my family, even if I have a hard time showing it," Jack says.

Dave shifts in his bed and sit Up to look more directly at his big brother, "You finished?"

Jack squares his shoulders and readies himself for what's coming next.

"Look Jack, I know why you did what you did when you left and if I'm being honest, the reason I have treated you like I have all these years is because I'm jealous of you getting out of here when you did. The truth it I never had the guts to stand up to dad the way you did. I guess getting shot gave me some time to think about all this. I know it wasn't bad but it made me think about you and some of the stuff I know you've gone thru. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm sorry for being such an ass all these years."

"I know part of this is my fault…"

"No it's not. You just wanted your own life and you had the right to want it. I've been angry with you for leaving me trapped here but I could've made the same decision as you."

For the first time in longer than Jack can remember he looks at his brother and feels a brief relief that he had the courage to leave and do what truly mattered to him. Growing up Dave had always dreamed about playing pro hockey but their dad wouldn't hear of it any more than he had wanted to hear that Jack wanted to join the military.

"Do you regret your life?" Jack asks after a long moment.

"No, not the parts that involve Ellie and the boys. But I do wish I had at least tried to pursue my dreams, now I'll always wonder if I would've made it if I had just tried."

"Well once your shoulder is healed I think a little one-on-one is an order," Jack says, with a wink.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sam stands at the back door, one hand on her belly and the other on her lower back, watching Jack and Teddy chasing each other around the yard with water guns. A smiles creeps onto her face as she thinks about the two new players that should be arriving any day. She can hardly believe that nine months has already flown by.

Another sharp pain shoot up from her lower back causing her to winch slightly. As she waits for it to fade she strokes her belly gently.

"Alright you two, knock off the funny business," she mutters as she moves back into the house and sits in a chair at the kitchen table.

As the pain fades away slowly she is filled with a sudden sense of urgency. She looks out the back door.

"Jack?" she calls.

To her relief she sees his head turn toward her.

"You okay in there?" he asks, making a move to head toward the house.

"I'm not sure, but I think it may be time to call Abby."

As Jack and Teddy head for the house another pain beings in her back, slightly more dull and throbbing than the last one.

"I think we might need to hurry," Sam says.

Jack nods and looks at Teddy, "Alright buddy, do you remember when we made you a bag to take to Aunt Abby's house? Go grab it and go put it in the car. I'll be there in a minute to help you in okay?"

"Okay daddy," Teddy says before running off to his room.

Jack turns and looks at Sam, "Alright, do you think you'll be able to get to the car on your own?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Okay then I'll grab your bag and be just behind you."

Before he turns to leave she grabs his arm and does her best to lean in for a quick kiss.

"Do you know how much I love you Jack O'Neill?"

He smiles at her, "I have a pretty good idea."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Several weeks later

Sam opens her eyes. Soft crying is coming from the next room. She takes a breath and gets out of bed but as she approaches the nursery she hears two voice inside so she pauses outside the door and listen.

"Why do they cry so much?" she hears Teddy's voice asking.

"Because they don't know how to talk or tell us that something is wrong," Jack answers.

"Then how do you know what is wrong with them?"

Jack chuckles softly, "Practice buddy. Livvy needs a diaper change and I have a feeling she woke Oli up when she started fussing."

Sam smiles as she peeks around the corner at her family. Jack is standing at the changing table with Olivia on the table in front of him and Teddy is sitting in the rocking chair in the corner holding Oliver in his arms. A warm feeling fills her chest as she watches them all interact and as she thinks about what the future has in store for the O'Neills she feels like sometimes life allows you to find your happily-ever-after after all.

AN: Okay, so I have decided that since this story started as a one-shot and lasted a little longer than I had planned that I would end it here. That being said I am not entirely sure there won't be a sequel down the road but that will have to wait till a later date. I wanted to thank all of you that have enjoyed and left your thought throughout this little adventure. You have all been a great encouragement in ways you may never know. Thanks for being so great.


End file.
